Agencies | Srinagar:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu and Kashmir unit on Monday served a legal notice on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his allegations that the party attempted to bribe National Conference (NC) legislators with cash and ministerial positions to topple his government.
Describing the allegations as “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory,” the BJP has demanded that the Chief Minister issue a written retraction and an unconditional public apology within seven days. The party has also warned that failure to comply will result in civil and criminal legal proceedings, including a defamation suit seeking damages of ₹100 crore.
The controversy stems from remarks made by Omar Abdullah while addressing National Conference workers at Hazratbal last week. During his speech, the Chief Minister alleged that the BJP was attempting to destabilise his government by engineering defections within the NC. He further claimed that an NC legislator from the Jammu region had informed him of being offered ₹20–30 crore along with a ministerial berth in exchange for switching allegiance to the BJP.
The legal notice, issued through advocate Parimoksh Seth on the instructions of BJP Jammu and Kashmir President and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma, states that the Chief Minister’s allegations have seriously damaged the reputation and public standing of the party and its office-bearers.
A BJP spokesperson confirmed that the notice had been formally served on the Chief Minister.
According to the three-page notice, Abdullah alleged that BJP leaders approached certain National Conference MLAs from the Jammu region with offers of ₹20–30 crore, ministerial positions, and the promise of restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in an attempt to persuade them to join the BJP.
The notice also refers to the Chief Minister’s claim that a senior BJP office-bearer, who is also a practising advocate in the Supreme Court, was allegedly involved in making the inducement offers.
Rejecting the allegations outright, the BJP has termed them “entirely untrue, malicious and without any factual basis.” The party maintains that the statements were deliberately made to tarnish its image and have been widely circulated, causing substantial reputational harm.
The legal notice asserts that the allegations constitute defamation under both civil and criminal law. It calls upon the Chief Minister to withdraw the statements in writing, issue an unconditional public apology within seven days of receiving the notice, and refrain from making or circulating any further defamatory statements against the BJP.
The party has further directed the Chief Minister to immediately cease and desist from repeating such allegations.
The BJP has warned that if its demands are not met within the stipulated period, it will initiate appropriate civil and criminal proceedings before a competent court, including a defamation suit seeking ₹100 crore in damages, along with other legal remedies available under the law.
