Omar Abdullah derides speculation on government formation, Mehbooba Mufti's critics

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today scoffed at speculations over government formation in the state, saying they were nothing more than well crafted smoke and mirrors, and decried criticism of PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti.

"You have a grief stricken daughter who isn't ready to take over just yet. All the other stuff is well crafted smoke & mirrors, nothing more," Omar wrote on Twitter.

He said there was "so much needless speculation about what is & isn't happening in the PDP or BJP and all of it coming from people who don't have a clue".

He was referring to speculations about Congress warming up to PDP for government formation in the state and Mehbooba setting conditions before the BJP.

Omar, the working president of PDP's arch-rival National Conference ( NC), said Mehbooba was a grief-stricken daughter who is not ready to take over as the chief minister yet.

"Anyone who tells me the visuals of Mehbooba at her father's grave today were of a woman calculating political chess moves is delusional," he said.