'Blind Lust To Score Cheap Publicity, Please People Across Border': Omar Vs Mehbooba War of Words Over Tulbul Water Navigation Project

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah engaged in a war of words with Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti after the former asked whether the Bulbul Navigation Barrage work which was stopped in 2007 after Pakistan objected to it would be resumed as the Centre has suspended the Indus Water Treaty, in wake of the Pahalgam terror attack when Pakistani terrorists killed 26 innocent civilian who were vacationing in Kashmir last month on April 22.

Sharing a small clip from onboard a plane, Omar Abdullah took to X and wrote, “The Wular lake in North Kashmir. 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. Now that the Indus Water Treaty (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.”

Mehbooba says weaponising water is inhumane, calls Omar's remarks irresponsible 

Reacting to Chief Minister's remark, Mehbooba Mufti termed Omar Abdullah's statements irresponsible saying, “Call to revive the Tulbul Navigation Project amid ongoing tensions between India & Pakistan is deeply unfortunate. 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 internationalising what should remain a bilateral matter.”

Giving it back to Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah accused PDP chief and former CM of trying to score cheap publicity in order to please people across the border.

“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. 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,” Omar Abdullah said.

Time will tell who is appeasing whom, says Mehbooba Mufti

As a war of words continued, Mehbooba Mufti hit back again at Omar and mocked the chief minister saying time will tell who is appeasing whom, and invoked CM's grandfather Sheikh Sahab.

“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,” Mehbooba Mufti wrote on X.

“In contrast the PDP has consistently upheld its convictions & commitments & unlike your party whose loyalties have shifted dramatically according to political expediency. We don’t need to stoke tensions or adopt warmongering rhetoric to validate our dedication. Our actions speak for themselves,” Mehbooba added.

Omar corrects Mehbooba on historic facts, says he'll rise above the gutter  

Correcting Mehbooba Mufti's history notes, Omar Abdullah also hit back at the former CM and accusing her of taking cheap shots at a person they themselves called Kashmirs' tallest leader.

“Is that really the best you can do? Taking cheap shots at a person you yourself have called Kashmir’s tallest leader. I’ll 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. You keep advocating the interests of anyone you want to & I’ll keep advocating for the interests of the people of J&K to use our own rivers for our own benefit. I’m not going to stop the water, just use more of it for ourselves. Now I think I’ll do some real work & you can keep posting,” CM Omar Abdullah wrote.