The fraught relationship between the Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor and chief minister took a turn for the worse on Friday, with Manoj Sinha sending a veiled message to the Omar Abdullah government to stop “fooling people” over the lack of powers and the latter blaming the LG for the Pahalgam attack.

Sinha and Omar have had multiple spats, but both appeared to be pushing the limits on Friday.

The LG touched a raw nerve with the elected government by organising events to celebrate the foundation day of the Union Territory, mobilising the entire state machinery to make them successful. Omar and his ministers stayed away and were left with only a handful of lower-rung officers to inaugurate the small but key Noorbagh bridge in Srinagar. The bridge has taken 14 years to complete and is perceived by locals as a pointer to the government’s incompetence.

Addressing a gathering, Sinha said the “excuse” of absence of statehood would not work. “Other than statehood, all powers are with the (elected) government. And I want to emphasise that this task of fooling people should be stopped,” he said.

Without naming Omar, the LG said the government should make full use of its powers and work for the betterment of the people.

Sinha said Union home minister Amit Shah had set a road map for Jammu and Kashmir by stating that delimitation would happen first, followed by Assembly elections and restoration of statehood at an appropriate time.

“Some people still seem to have a problem,” he said. “When the Assembly elections were held, it was clear that they were being conducted for the Union Territory. They (elected government) cannot make the excuse that work cannot be done till statehood is restored.”

Omar accused the LG of placing hurdles in the running of his government and for his failure to avert the Pahalgam attack.

“The destruction we see around today, unemployment, the GST shortfall, a decrease in the sales of our handicrafts, vacant hotels, taxis, shikaras and houseboats. Why? Because there was an attack in Pahalgam,” Omar said.

“Who is in charge of the security of this place? If it were in my hands, we would never allow such a situation to unfold in Jammu and Kashmir. I was chief minister for six years…. Show me one place where tourists were attacked. Our 26 guests were killed in Pahalgam and we are advised to work. We know our work. We will do our work, you do yours,” he added.

Omar said people were lured to participate in elections on the promise of statehood, but now they were being told to wait.