Kashmir's political rivals in war of words over triple talaq Bill

A recent Twitter battle between the two titans of Kashmir on the triple talaq Bill was instructive. Omar Abdullah (National Conference) tweeted: “Mehbooba Mufti ji, you might want to check how your members voted on this bill before tweeting. I understand they abstained which helped the government with the numbers needed to pass the bill. You can’t help the government and then fail to understand need to pass!”

Replying to him, Peoples Democratic Party’s Mufti tweeted, “Omar sahab, I suggest you get off your moral high horse since it was your own party that expelled Soz sahab for voting against the BJP in 1999. FYI in Parliament, abstention is essentially a no vote.”

Abdullah was quick to retort to Mufti’s claims, and wrote, “Madam, is recounting an incident from TWENTY years ago the best you can do to defend PDP duplicity? So you are accepting you instructed your MPs to abstain. And no an abstention is NOT a no vote, a no vote is a no vote. An abstention helped the BJP this time.”

Will Sandeep step into Sheila’s shoes?

After Sheila Dikshit’s death, the hunt has begun for a new chief for the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committeee as the party is conscious that it cannot delay the appointment. Elections in Delhi are round the corner and the Congress’s preparation is non-existent. Sandeep Dikshit, late Sheila Dikshit’s son and former Delhi MP is one contender. So are ex-Delhi Congress chiefs Jai Prakash Agarwal and Subhash Chopra. There are chances that Sandeep Dikshit might be considered for the post. It is expected that the “sympathy factor” as well as Sandeep Dikshit’s clean image in public may yield dividends.