Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti spar over Tulbul Navigation Project

A bitter spat has broken out between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti over the latter’s criticism of Omar’s proposition to revive the Tulbul Navigation Project in the wake of the Centre’s decision to keep the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack.

While Mufti lashed out at the Chief Minister accusing him of “adopting warmongering rhetoric”, Omar hit back saying that her comments opposing his suggestion showed her eagerness to gain “cheap publicity” and she was “trying to appease certain sections” in Pakistan.

Mufti’s salvo

Mufti even raked up Omar Abdullah's grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah’s alleged act of voicing support for the idea of joining Pakistan after he was ousted from power in Jammu and Kashmir.

“But post being reinstated as Chief Minister, he suddenly reversed his stance by aligning with India. In contrast, the PDP has consistently upheld its convictions & commitments & unlike your party, whose loyalties have shifted dramatically according to political expediency,” she stated in a post on X.

“We don’t need to stoke tensions or adopt warmongering rhetoric to validate our dedication. Our actions speak for themselves,” added Mufti.

Also Read: Can Tulbul project restart after suspension of Indus Water Treaty: Omar

What triggered spat?

The war of words between the two leaders started after Omar suggested that the Tulbul Navigation project can be revived after India's decision to keep the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam attack.

Abdullah argued that if restarted, the Tulbul Navigation Project, till now suspended following earlier objection from Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty, the people of Jammu and Kashmir would benefit from it as they would get to use the water of the Jhelum River for navigation and power generation.

The Chief Minister had earlier expressed his reservation about the Indus Water Treaty and described it as “deeply unfair” to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Wular lake in North Kashmir. The civil works you see in the video are 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 IWT has been “temporarily suspended”, I wonder if we will be able to resume the project,” Abdullah posted X along with a video of the river.

Also Read: Expecting overnight transformation in J-K'unrealistic: Farooq Abdullah

‘Deeply unfortunate remark’

This did not go down well with Mufti, who lambasted Abdullah for making a “ deeply unfortunate” remark at a time when India and Pakistan stepped back from the brink of a “full-fledged war.” She also accused Abdullah of “weaponising” water.

“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 internationalizing what should remain a bilateral matter,” stated Mufti in a post on X.

Also Read: J-K official, 2 security officers among 7 killed in Pak shelling in Jammu before 'ceasefire'

CM hits back

Lashing out at Mufti over her remarks the Chief Minister not only dubbed them as attempts to gain “cheap publicity”, but also accused her of trying to “please some people” in Pakistan.

“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,” Abdullah posted on X.

What is Tulbul Navigation Project?

Initiated by the Centre in 1984, the Tulbul Navigation Project revolves around the construction of a 439-feet-long and 40-feet-wide barrage with a navigation lock at Wullar Lake. However, a year after commencing the project was halted due to objections from Pakistan which in 1986 approached the Indus Waters Commission, after which the project was cancelled in 1987.