Answers for "can i apply disable attribute to <a> tag"

disable a tag

.disable{
	pointer-events:none;
}

with jquery add this class to you element to disable is and remove class to enable it

disabled attribute is not working in html

try to use disabled="disabled":

<input type="text" id="txtEditAlternate" class="form-control" name="alternate" disabled="disabled" />

I hope it will work for you.