SRINAGAR, April 15 -- Faced with an inaugural ribbon in saffron, white and green stripes, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday refused to cut it and instead untied it and handed it back to the organisers with the instruction that it should be kept with respect.

Abdullah was inaugurating the 'Know Your Artisans' event at the Kashmir Haat here. In a moment that was captured by camera crews and quickly went viral on social media platforms, the chief minister was seen walking towards the ribbon stretched across and then stopping short as he noticed the colours of the tricolour.

He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, his advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and a host of others.

The ribbon dispensed with,...