Srinagar, June 3 -- A call for political unity in Jammu and Kashmir devolved into a public spat on Tuesday after PDP president Mehbooba Mufti claimed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah ignored her meeting requests, a charge Abdullah swiftly denied and accused her of misrepresenting facts to score political points.

In a letter posted on social media addressed to the chief minister and leaders across the political spectrum, including the BJP, Mehbooba urged Jammu and Kashmir's fractured political leadership to take a cue from Ladakh's recent success and unite to safeguard the region's special identity and constitutional rights.

However, the call for solidarity was immediately overshadowed by a war of words over political etiquette.

In her lett...