Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti’s twitter spat

Soon after Jammu and Kashmir made it compulsory for all government officials to attend the Republic Day function, a virtual spat took place on Twitter between Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti . According to a report in The Indian Express, the state administration has issued an order stating that it is compulsory for government employees to be present at the Republic Day functions as part of their official duty.The order further stated that failure to attend the ceremony would be construed as a dereliction of duty and disobedience of government instructions.The order has also asked the J&K State Road Transport Corporation and the Tourism Development Corporation to keep its vehicles ready to ferry employees for attending the Republic Day functions.

The Twitter spat showed the ground reality of the much touted NC-PDP-Congress alliance.The fracas started when Omar Abdullah brought Mehbooba Mufti’s late father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, into the discussion on Twitter. Omar Abdullah tweeted that attendance has been compulsory in the past as well. He added that in fact late Mufti Sb used to use state transport and police vehicles to bring supporters to show how much the situation was “improving”. However, this remark did not appease the PDP head, Mehbooba Mufti. She responded with another tweet in which she made clear that she can debate Omar at anytime but that she did not like his idea of involving her late father over this matter. “A person who is not around here anymore can’t defend himself”, she added.

The State of J&K was plunged in a political crisis and Governor’s rule was brought into force.  The rivals, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, decided to team up to form a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Congress. “When the bugle for assembly elections is sounded, we will emerge winner”, said Omar Abdullah earlier and confirmed that PDP, NC and Congress will contest the next Assembly Elections. One possible reason for the coming together of these arch rivals was Article 35A. Last year, in fact, following the Central government’s plea to reconsider the decision regarding Article 35A, after the local polls, the NC and PDP boycotted the municipal cum panchayat polls in the state. However the road to alliance is not clear.

A statement issued by the Governor at the time he dissolved the Assembly has much relevance now. He stated that it is impossible to form a stable government through the bringing together of political parties with opposing political ideologies including some, which have been demanding the dissolution of the Assembly; whereas the past few years have shown that it is not possible to form a stable government comprising of like minded parties while there exists a fractured mandate in the Assembly. The coming together of such parties in a group is nothing but an attempt to gain power rather than to form a responsive and functional government.

There were reports of “extensive horse trading” . Underscoring the need for a stable government given the security situation, Mr Malik said there were doubts about “the longevity of any such arrangement where there are competing claims of majority”. The governor’s advice regarding the dissolution of the assembly will pave way for  elections in the state within the next six months. “The proposed alliance between the INC and the PDP broke up even before it was formed. Even for the dissolution of Assembly they had taken contradictory positions. One was supporting it and the other opposing it. The tenure of the governor’s rule is ending next month, which will be followed by President’s rule. Various combinations are being worked out in an effort to keep the BJP from coming to power in the state.