The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has served a legal notice to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his claims that the saffron party attempted to lure National Conference (NC) legislators with bribes and ministerial berths to topple his government. The BJP has demanded a written retraction and an unconditional public apology within seven days, warning of civil and criminal defamation proceedings including a Rs 100-crore lawsuit iff he fails to comply.
BJP Issues Rs 100 Crore Legal Threat to Chief Minister
The legal notice was served by advocate Parimoksh Seth on behalf of the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, on the instructions of party president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma. According to the notice, Abdullah alleged during a party workers’ convention in Srinagar that BJP functionaries were attempting to bring down his government by approaching NC legislators from the Jammu region. He claimed they were offered Rs 20–30 crore in cash, ministerial positions, and the restoration of statehood in exchange for switching allegiances. The notice also references Abdullah’s specific allegation that a senior BJP office-bearer, who is a practicing Supreme Court lawyer, personally played a role in orchestrating the bribery offers.
Calling the allegations completely “false, baseless, and defamatory,” the BJP stated that the Chief Minister’s remarks have caused serious damage to the party’s public reputation and standing. The notice gives Abdullah seven days to issue a written apology and withdraw his statements, while also demanding that he refrain from making similar assertions in the future.
Saffron Party Demands Evidence, Warns of Legal Action
Advocate Parimoksh Seth confirmed that the three-page legal notice was dispatched to the Chief Minister via both email and speed post. “We asked him for proof, which he has not provided to date. Today, we have issued a legal notice to him through our BJP Jammu Kashmir president, Sat Paul Sharma ji, asking him to apologize within seven days, withdraw his statement in writing, and promise not to repeat this mistake,” Seth stated.
Echoing these remarks, BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur accused CM Abdullah of relying on fabrications to mislead the public. He warned that the party would actively pursue the matter in a competent court of law if the retraction is not issued within the stipulated time.
The Origin of Poaching Allegations
The political row erupted during a recent National Conference workers’ convention ahead of the party’s planned “Delhi Chalo” agitation. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah openly alleged that the BJP was attempting to engineer a split in his party, just as it had in other states where it lacked a majority. Abdullah also used the forum to critique the central government’s timeline on Jammu and Kashmir’s status, reiterating that the restoration of statehood, a commitment made by the Centre after the August 2019 abrogation of Article 370 should be treated as a constitutional obligation rather than a political favor. In a push to amplify these demands, the National Conference has scheduled a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, actively inviting national and regional opposition leaders to join the demonstration.
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The post Explained: Why BJP Slapped J&K CM Omar Abdullah With A Rs 100-Crore Defamation Notice appeared first on NewsX.
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