Srinagar: The J&K unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has served a legal notice to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah demanding the withdrawal of his alleged remarks accusing the party of attempting to lure National Conference MLAs with money and ministerial positions. The notice seeks an unconditional public apology within seven days and warns of civil and criminal proceedings, including a Rs 100-crore defamation suit, in case of non-compliance.
The legal notice has been issued by Advocate Parimoksh Seth who was instructed to do so by Rajya Sabha MP and J&K BJP President Sat Paul Sharma. Earlier, leader of Opposition in J&K Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma and party legislator Ranbir Pathania, a lawyer himself, had hinted at the possibility of this defamation notice in their interviews.
The notice states that during a political convention in Srinagar on July 11, Omar Abdullah allegedly claimed that BJP leaders had approached some NC MLAs from the Jammu region with offers of Rs20–30 crore each, ministerial berths, and restoration of statehood in exchange for switching allegiance to the BJP. It further states that Omar Abdullah also alleged that a senior BJP functionary, who is also a lawyer practising in the Supreme Court of India, was involved in making such offers.
The BJP, in the notice, described the allegations as “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory,” asserting that they were made without any evidence and had caused serious damage to the party’s reputation and public image. The notice says the BJP is the world’s largest political party and has been serving the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the allegations were intended to malign its image.
The BJP has demanded that Omar Abdullah withdraw the allegations in writing, issue an unconditional public apology within seven days, refrain from making or circulating any further defamatory statements, and immediately cease repeating such claims. The notice warns that failure to comply would compel the BJP to initiate appropriate civil and criminal proceedings, including a Rs 100-crore defamation claim, besides criminal action under the relevant provisions of law.
The legal notice states that it has been issued without prejudice to all other legal rights and remedies available to the BJP. The notice comes a day after the CM, while addressing a NC workers’ convention in Srinagar on July 11, had alleged that attempts were made to destabilize the elected government he heads.
CM Omar had claimed that certain NC MLAs from the Jammu region were allegedly approached with offers ranging between Rs 20 crore and Rs 30 crore, ministerial berths, and assurances of statehood restoration in an effort to persuade them to switch sides. The BJP has strongly denied the allegations and termed them defamatory and politically motivated.
In the 90 member elected Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory (UT) of J&K, the BJP has 29 MLAs. It needs a minimum of 17 more legislators if it were to attempt to form its own government. Hypothetically, at the alleged rates, the party will need to spend Rs 340 crore (@ Rs 20 crore per MLA) or Rs 510 crore (@Rs 30 crore per MLA) for buying these numbers.
In several interviews to TV channels, and news portals, LOP Sunil Sharma mocked at CM Omar’s allegations and brushed them aside. He said it was a blatant lie that his party has made any efforts to buy NC legislators.
“Where is the need to offer Rs 20 or 30 crore to NC legislators? Many of them are willing to switch sides at no cost (muft biknay ko taiyyar hein) as they were tired of the tyranny of the Abdullahs. Three generations of this family, Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah have ruled the state since 1947. The Prince (read Omar Abdullah) wants this tradition to go down to fourth generation, his own sons, and this is something most NC legislators are against,’’ Sunil Sharma said.
Sharma said that Omar was trying to project himself as a warrior (yoddha) against the BJP and mislead common people in Kashmir as also Jammu regions. In these attempts, he has forgotten making mention of his countless failures made in the election manifesto of the NC. “Omar doesn’t talk about 12 LPG cylinders per annum per family. He doesn’t talk about one lakh jobs he had promised to the youth of J&K. He doesn’t talk about free 200 units of power per family,’’ Sharma said.
“To hide failure on all these fronts which has led to a steep fall in the popularity of CM Omar, he is telling lies against the BJP. Due to all this, he is afraid of facing elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and panchayats’’ Mr Sharma said. He claimed that the Omar government was already facing multiple problems from within his own party.
He was apparently referring to the challenge the Abdullahs are facing from Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah who has refused to kowtow to the CM. In many of his public pronouncements, he has openly challenged Omar Abduallah saying the real fight the NC has on its hands is the struggle for restoration of Article 370 and 35-A. The CM was trying to mislead hardcore NC cadres by urging them to be in Delhi on July 20 to participate in an agitation for restoration of statehood.
BJP leader Sunil Sharma has said his party will lead protests against the CM Omar and organise a march to Civil Secretariat on July 20 at Srinagar. He said the party will organise a far bigger protest with the help of ordinary people when Omar will be busy at Delhi.
