Omar accuses Mehbooba of wavering on govt formation

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today accused PDP President Mehbooba Mufti of showing indecisive and wavering leadership on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"If the last two months are a precursor and an indication of the next more than four years to come - God save our state for such indecisive, wavering leadership," he wrote on his Facebook page.

Omar said for over two months, the state has witnessed a roller-coaster performance of political posturing from PDP underlined by a display of indecisive leadership.

"After the demise of late Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed) Sahib, Mehbooba Mufti declared her unwillingness to take over the reins of power unless BJP and the central government announced certain confidence building measures (CBMs)," he said.

Mehbooba had termed her father's decision to align with BJP as an "unpopular" one, he said and noted that her intentions were viewed as docile and noble - at least as far as BJP is concerned.

"She wanted to be seen as a rebel who was immune to the temptation of power that her father had succumbed to. What started as her claim for higher moral ground has ended in the same old territory of serious contradictions - by now an all too familiar hallmark of her politics and that of her party's," he said.

PDP is now clearly about to form the government with BJP and Mehbooba Mufti would become the Chief Minister, shattering the expectations raised by them for the last two months, he said.

Omar questioned as to how such a leadership will confront divisive forces that threaten the state's integrity, its amity and its peace.

"How will such indecisiveness affect the state politically and economically is something that remains to be seen. Sadly, the script seems to have been written and the preview is alarming," he said. Omar said that the tables have turned now.

"The last month was apparently spent in mollifying the BJP's central leadership and reiterating an unconditional, unquestionable loyalty to them.

"Now it is the PDP serenading the BJP. Soon after meeting the Prime Minister, BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav went on record to say that there was no talk of government formation in the meeting between Mehbooba Mufti and the Prime Minister and also reiterated that PDP had not made any demands," he said.

"In an even more cutting-to-size manoeuvre, Ram Madhav told the media that the Prime Minister had received Mehbooba Mufti with great courtesy and had asked her to take up the alliance negotiations with the BJP leadership instead of him," he said.

"He went on to state that these negotiations are best held at the party level and not at the Prime Minister's level and the BJP will hold negotiations on this issue after PDP's legislature party meeting in Srinagar today," he said.

Omar also said that Mehbooba had rushed to Delhi to save her party from disintegration.

"It's evident that Mehbooba Mufti, terrified by the imminent fragmentation of her party, rushed to New Delhi in a matter of days to try and apologize for her posturing and her little rebellion," he said.