Srinagar, Feb 19 (IANS): Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday expressed cynicism on the human resource development ministry's directive to hoist the national flag in all central universities in the country.

Reacting to the decision taken on Thursday at the meeting of vice chancellors of central universities chaired by HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Omar said on his Twitter handle: "If hoisting the flag was all it took to address feelings of alienation, problems of Kashmir and North East would have been solved decades ago."

Abdullah, however, said he was not against the decision as it looked like an innovative one to address separatist sentiments being voiced in various universities.

"I'm all for innovative solutions but let's not kid ourselves that slogans heard in JNU or Jadavpur will disappear with this HRD order," he said in another tweet.

Abdullah's father, Farooq Abdullah, also a former state chief minister, had said on Thursday that the JNU problem should have been handled by the university's vice chancellor and not allowed to spill out of the campus.

"It has become a big problem and God knows where it will end," Farooq Abdullah said.