Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday appeared to counter Amit Shah's claims about restoring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir while attempting to put an end to a controversy triggered by the home minister’s remarks on Kashyap Rishi.

Shah had on Thursday claimed Kashmir could have got its name from Kashyap Rishi, one of the seven ancient sages of the Vedic era. This was seen by some as an indication that Kashmir’s name could be changed to Kashyap, although Shah made no such insinuation.

In his speech, Shah had said militancy-related incidents had reduced by 70 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir. He also said the Centre had “not only controlled terrorism but also demolished the terror ecosystem” in the Valley.

Omar refused to comment on Shah's claim but mentioned “reports even today of attacks from some places”.

“Even today normalcy has not been restored fully. There is a process. Let us see what happens in the future,” he said. Under the hybrid model of governance in Jammu and Kashmir, law and order is the responsibility of the lieutenant governor's administration.

Omar also countered rumours that Kashmir’s name could be changed to Kashyap. “There is no such thing. Some channel or newspaper had run it. They had corrected it,” he said.

“And without the permission of the government of Jammu and Kashmir, this cannot happen,” he added.

Omar was responding to a question about Shah’s remarks during a book release where he said: “Article 370 was a facilitator of terrorism and its abrogation completely integrated Jammu and Kashmir with India”.

Kashmir's Counter Disinformation Centre, believed to be run by government agencies, also rebuffed reports of a possible name change.

“Fake News is being shared by several news channels and journalists, with the misleading claim that "#Kashmir may/could be renamed as Kashyap, says HM #AmitShah,” the centre said on X.

The centre said Shah only said “Kashmir is also known as the land of Kashyap” and it “was possible that Kashmir may have been named after Kashyap”.

“He did NOT say 'Kashmir could be renamed Kashyap'," it said.

The controversy came on a day Hurriyat Conference chief and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged authorities to lift the restrictions preventing him from fulfilling his religious duties. The Mirwaiz claimed he had been placed under house detention to prevent him from reaching Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.