India, Nov. 1 -- A fierce political showdown erupted in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of misleading citizens over the restoration of statehood, media reports said.

The war of words quickly escalated when Abdullah hit back, holding Sinha responsible for the recent Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Addressing a public event, the Lieutenant Governor said that the issue of statehood was being used as a political smokescreen.

The remarks triggered a sharp response from the Chief Minister, who accused Sinha of deflecting attention from his own failures.

The Chief Minister, who returned to office earlier this year after elections to the newly restored asse...