Omar, Mufti spar over ‘weaponising’ water, patriotism, pro-Pakistan tilt | India News

Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti

SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah’s push to resume the stalled Tulbul Navigation Project on Wullar Lake in north Kashmir’s Sopore now that the Indus Water Treaty is on hold led PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti to accuse him Friday of “weaponising water” and risking “internationalising what should remain a bilateral matter”.The war of words quickly lapsed into claims of who’s more patriotic and whether the other is pro-Pakistan.“At a time when both countries have just stepped back from the brink of a full-fledged war, with J&K bearing the brunt through the loss of innocent lives, widespread destruction and immense suffering, such statements are not only irresponsible but also dangerously provocative,” Mehbooba said. “Our people deserve peace as much as anyone else in the country.”Omar said the ex-CM’s remarks reflected an attempt to “please some people sitting across the border”.“Actually, what is unfortunate is that with your blind lust to try to score cheap publicity points, 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 on X, addressing Mehbooba.“I have always opposed this treaty, and 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.”Mehbooba then brought Omar’s grandfather Sheikh Abdullah into the discourse. “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,” she said.“But post being reinstated as chief minister, he suddenly reversed his stance by aligning with India. In contrast, PDP has consistently upheld its convictions and commitments, unlike your party, whose loyalties have shifted dramatically according to political expediency.”It didn’t stop here.Omar shot back, saying, “Is that really the best you can do? Taking cheap shots at a person you yourself have called Kashmir’s tallest leader. I will rise above the gutter you want to take this conversation to by keeping the late Mufti Sahib and ‘North Pole-South Pole’ out of this.”The allusion was to Mehbooba’s father Mufti Sayeed justifying PDP’s alliance with BJP in 2015 by saying he wanted to bridge the gap between the North and South poles.“You keep advocating the interests of anyone you want to and l will keep advocating the interests of the people of J&K to use our own rivers for our own benefit. I am not going to stop the water, just use more of it for ourselves. Now, I think I will do some real work and you can keep posting,” he signed off.The Tulbul Navigation Project was commissioned in 1984 to aid winter power generation. The project came to a halt in 1987 after Pakistan objected to it, raising the issue with the Indus Waters Commission. The 439ft barrage remains incomplete despite work briefly resuming in 2010.