Replacing Mufti

The passing away of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed adds yet another dimension to the already delicately poised India-Pak tangle. The Mufti had the political acumen of fording the undulating divide that the extremist faction has been creating. Mehbooba Mufti could well take over the reins of the state and the party. She, however, is prone to taking extreme positions and now needs to internalise political manoeuvring. The embers of the Pathankot episode give her little time to effectively don the weighty mantle.

R. Narayanan Ghaziabad