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| Omar, Mehbooba back to trading charges on a day Parliament approved president's rule in J&K | | | Agencies
New Delhi, Jan 3: Barely had the Rajya Sabha today passed the statutory resolution approving proclamation of President's Rule in Jammu and Kashmir that the two major parties of the state People's Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference (NC) indulged in mud-slinging.
Ironically, just about a month ago, PDP and NC had decided to join hands along with the Congress to cobble up a majority to form government in the trouble-torn state.
However, Governor Satya Pal Malik put paid to their plans by dissolving the state assembly on the grounds that any government was unlikely to last long. The coming together of such parties in a grouping is nothing but an attempt to gain power rather to form a responsive government, the press release issued by the Raj Bhavan late on November 21 had said.
The war of words between the two top leaders of the state Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah has perhaps vindicated the governor's stand. It happened on a day when the Rajya Sabha passed the statutory resolution on proclamation issued by President Ram Nath Kovind in relation to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 35 of the Constitution.
The Lok Sabha had passed the resolution on December 28.
The charges and counter-charges between Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah started over a tweet by the PDP chief in which she sought to express the pain of a mother whose son has fallen victim to terror.
Mehbooba Mufti, who stepped down as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in June following withdrawal of support by the BJP, said, "No mother wants her son to pick up a gun and lose his life in the prime of his youth. Therefore, harassing the family is not going to help the situation. Had my initiative of ceasefire sustained many more precious lives would have been saved... No force or military can help us win this war with our people. Only affection of mothers and family will help reclaim our own generation in rage."
Mehbooba perhaps got an unexpected and a caustic reply from her otherwise arch rival. Omar Abdullah replied calling her the architect of Operation All-out.
"The architect of Operation All-out and the overseer of the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now going from one militant home to the next trying to rehabilitate a badly damaged reputation... She used militants by sanctioning their deaths to appease the BJP and now she uses dead militants to try to appease the voter. Just how gullible does she think people are?" Abdullah replied.
Mehbooba Mufti, in her response to the attack appeared conciliatory.
The former chief minister said, It was your duty as an opposition leader to reach out to these families, just like I did during your tenure as CM. I visited families that lost members who were killed during fake encounter at Manchil, during 2010 unrest and Shopian rape and murder case... My visiting these helpless families shouldn't trouble you, rather we all should try to reach out to them as they cannot be left at the mercy of others.
But Omar Abdullah did not seem to be in a mood to cool down.
He said, That's the problem you only reach these people in opposition. Unlike you I prefer not to exploit their pain while in opposition only to forget all about it in power. Different horses for different courses...
The PDP jumped in to defend its chief.
It said, (The) PDP believes in outreach with its own people whatever the circumstances be. @jkpdp would like to know if you are offended with @MehboobaMufti outreach or just it is typical NC politics to bleed innocents to death by way of Ikwanis.
Omar Abdullah stepped up his attack on the PDP accusing it of getting cosy with the BJP to share power.
He said, Boss if you can live with the hypocrisy of your actions who am I to be offended? Where was this outreach while you were sucking up to the BJP? I suppose the woh kya doodh ya toffee laney gayey they' was part of this famed outreach'.
Though the trading of charges today have brought to the fore the traditional rivalry between the two parties, just on November 21 Mehbooba Mufti had written a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik announcing their coming together to form government in the terror-infested state.
She had said then, As you are aware that People's Democratic Party is the largest party in the state assembly having strength of 29. You might have gathered from the media reports that the Congress and National Conference have also decided to extend support to our party to form a government in the state. National Conference has strength of 15 and the Congress 12. That takes our collective strength to 56.
However, these words present a contrast to the banter witnessed on social media today. The BJP and Governor Satya Pal Malik may have the last laugh. |
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