A major political storm has hit Jammu and Kashmir after the former chief minister Omar Abdullah accused the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP government of spying on him.
Omar was referring to the quizzing of a journalist who had gone to interview him at his residence in Srinagar. She, according to Omar, was asked several questions by a cop from the CID branch of Jammu and Kashmir.
Visibly angry, former chief minister took to Twitter and spewed his angst against the Mufti government.
"Mufti Govt brazenly spying on me. A journalist interviewing me for a national daily just got stopped right outside my gate by CID person… She was asked who she was & what the purpose of her visit was! Seriously guys if you want to know just ask me, I couldn't care less if U do," Omar tweeted.
Omar also lampooned the government for "unleashing apparatchiks" to spy on him. "Dear Mufti Sahab if you & your apparatchiks want to know what I'm up to pick up the phone & ask me. Please don't accost people outside my gate," he said.
The ruling People's Democratic Party was quick to react and give it back to Omar in the same coin. "Basically one of his (Omar's) workers was there and he was not allowed to go inside. He asked this lady (journalist) who are you and how you were allowed and I was not. Then the lady said a CID guy had asked her questions," said Wahid ur Rehman Para, PDP spokesman and political analyst to J&K chief minister.
Para also mocked at the claims that Omar was being spied by the government. "Even if you do spying you don't do this way. He is a Z-plus protected person and he is the ex-chief minister. He is vulnerable and police are worried about who is who and what is going on. They also frisk there and that is the security concern," he said.
