Jammu, May 2 -- A sharp war of words has erupted between coalition partners National Conference (NC) and Congress over the issue of the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, exposing growing cracks within the alliance. The fresh exchange comes a day after NC president and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah criticised the Congress for what he described as its "half-hearted" support to the demand for statehood. In response, the Congress on Saturday hit back, asserting that it has consistently remained at the forefront of the struggle, while accusing the NC of failing to acknowledge its efforts.
Reacting strongly to Abdullah's remarks, the Congress said it was, in fact, the NC that had lagged behind in actively pursuing the dem...