NC Founder Sheikh Abdullah once backed accession to Pakistan but later aligned with India, Our people need peace, not provocative politics: Mehbooba Mufti
Srinagar, May 16: A fresh political war of words has erupted between Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti over the proposed revival of the Tulbul Navigation Project in North Kashmir following the temporary suspension of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
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On Thursday afternoon, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted an aerial video of Wular Lake on X as per news agency JKNS, noting the visible civil works of the Tulbul Navigation Barrage. “The civil works you see in the video is the Tulbul Navigation Barrage. It was started in the early 1980s but had to be abandoned under pressure from Pakistan citing the Indus Water Treaty,” he wrote. “Now that the IWT has been ‘temporarily suspended’, I wonder if we will be able to resume the project. It will give us the advantage of allowing us to use the Jhelum for navigation. It will also improve the power generation of downstream power projects, especially in winter.”
Reacting sharply to the statement, PDP President and former CM Mehbooba Mufti posted on Friday morning, calling Omar’s remarks “deeply unfortunate.” She said, “At a time when both countries have just stepped back from the brink of a full-fledged war—with Jammu and Kashmir bearing the brunt through the loss of innocent lives, widespread destruction and immense suffering—such statements are not only irresponsible but also dangerously provocative. Our people deserve peace as much as anyone else in the country. Weaponizing something as essential and life-giving as water is not only inhumane but also risks internationalizing what should remain a bilateral matter.”
In a swift rebuttal, Omar Abdullah accused Mehbooba of playing politics. “Actually what is unfortunate is that with your blind lust to try to score cheap publicity points & please some people sitting across the border, you refuse to acknowledge that the IWT has been one of the biggest historic betrayals of the interests of the people of J&K,” he wrote. “I have always opposed this treaty & I will continue to do so. Opposing a blatantly unfair treaty is in no way, shape, size or form warmongering, it’s about correcting a historic injustice that denied the people of J&K the right to use our water for ourselves.”
The exchange did not stop there. In another response, Mehbooba Mufti fired back, referencing historical positions. “Time will reveal who seeks to appease whom. However, it’s worth recalling that your esteemed grandfather Sheikh Sahab once advocated for accession to Pakistan for over two decades after losing power. But post being reinstated as Chief Minister, he suddenly reversed his stance by aligning with India,” she wrote.
She added that unlike Omar’s National Conference, the PDP has consistently upheld its principles. “We don’t need to stoke tensions or adopt warmongering rhetoric to validate our dedication. Our actions speak for themselves,” she concluded.
The debate continues to stir political circles, with many watching closely how the government moves forward on the sensitive Tulbul project in the wake of ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. (JKNS)
