Omar Abdullah rejects claim of ignoring meeting request; says PDP chief misrepresented facts for political mileage
BuzzBytes News Desk
SRINAGAR, June 2: A call for political unity in Jammu and Kashmir by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti triggered a public confrontation on Tuesday after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly refuted her claim that he had ignored her requests for a meeting.
The exchange unfolded after Mehbooba Mufti released an open letter addressed to the Chief Minister and leaders from across the political spectrum, including the BJP, urging them to unite to safeguard Jammu and Kashmir’s identity and constitutional rights.
Drawing parallels with recent developments in Ladakh, where political groups have engaged in dialogue with the Centre on constitutional and governance issues, Mehbooba said Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership needed to rise above differences and work collectively for the larger interests of the region.
However, her appeal for unity quickly gave way to a war of words over political protocol and communication.
In her letter, Mehbooba claimed she was compelled to write publicly because her attempts to secure a meeting with the Chief Minister had not materialised.
“Due to his preoccupation, it has not been possible. Therefore, I am taking the liberty of writing to you since time is running out and we cannot afford to delay things any further,” she wrote.
Responding sharply, Omar Abdullah accused the PDP chief of presenting a misleading picture of the situation for political advantage.
“Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba, we spoke on Saturday when you asked to meet. I told you I was in Pahalgam on Sunday and would get in touch on Monday or Tuesday to fix to meet,” Abdullah wrote on X.
“Your letter gives the impression that I’ve kept you waiting for an appointment for weeks on end, which is clearly not the case. Be that as it may, your letter to me is now in the public domain,” he added.
The Chief Minister further said he would formally respond to her proposal only after consulting senior leaders of the National Conference and would do so publicly.
“I will respond after discussing the matter with my senior colleagues in the party and route it similarly,” he said, indicating that his reply would also be issued through social media.
Senior National Conference leaders alleged that Mehbooba was deliberately attempting to misrepresent facts in order to gain political mileage.
In her letter, Mehbooba argued that Jammu and Kashmir was passing through a critical phase marked by uncertainty and disillusionment and said political divisions among regional parties had repeatedly harmed the collective interests of the people.
“Given the fact that disagreements and squabbling between regional parties have been detrimental to the collective interests of Jammu and Kashmir, a reasonable consensus especially post-2019 is the only solution. If Ladakh could do it, so can we,” she wrote.
The former Chief Minister said that only dialogue and collective engagement could produce meaningful outcomes and urged political leaders to put aside partisan interests in favour of a common agenda.
She also maintained that Omar Abdullah’s support was essential for any meaningful political initiative and urged him to convene an all-party meeting to build consensus before jointly approaching Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Mehbooba stressed that the initiative should not become a contest for political credit and called on all stakeholders to place the larger interests of Jammu and Kashmir above party considerations.
In an effort to build a broad-based political platform, she sent similar letters to several political and civil society leaders, including Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, People’s Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone, Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid and Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti president Sanjay Tickoo.
The exchange has added a new dimension to the ongoing political debate in Jammu and Kashmir, with questions now being raised not only about the proposed unity initiative but also about the willingness of regional parties to work together on issues of common concern.
