J&K BJP sends legal notice to Omar Abdullah over bribery allegations

The BJP has sent a legal notice to former J&K CM Omar Abdullah over his allegations of the party trying to buy NC MLAs. The notice demands an apology within seven days, failing which the BJP will file a Rs 100 crore defamation suit.

Advocate Parimoksh Seth, representing Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Sat Paul Sharma, on Monday challenged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his allegations that BJP leaders had offered money and ministerial positions to National Conference (NC) MLAs to switch sides.

Speaking to ANI, Seth said the legal notice had been sent to Abdullah through email and speed post. "On behalf of my client, the Bharatiya Janata Party, we have sent a legal notice to Omar Abdullah ji, who is the Chief Minister of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. This legal notice has been sent to his email and via speed post. He made an allegation on the 11th in his programme in Srinagar... that a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who is also a Supreme Court lawyer, tried to buy one of his MLAs and offered a bribe of Rs 20 to 30 crore and a ministerial post. These were false and fabricated allegations," Seth said.

BJP Demands Apology, Threatens Defamation Suit

He said the BJP had sought proof of the allegations but had not received any. "We asked him for proof, which he has not provided till date. Today, we have issued a legal notice to him through our BJP Jammu Kashmir president, Sat Paul Sharma ji, asking him to apologise within seven days, withdraw his statement in writing, and promise not to repeat this mistake," he said.

Seth warned that legal proceedings would follow if Abdullah failed to comply with the notice. "If Omar Abdullah does not apologise and withdraw his statement within seven days, we will file a criminal defamation case against him and a civil defamation case for Rs 100 crore in damages," he said.

Calling the allegations baseless, the advocate said the BJP's reputation had been tarnished. "These are false allegations. The Bharatiya Janata Party has more than 14 crore members; it's the largest party in the world... If there is proof, present it; don't just talk in the air. You have tarnished the reputation of my client in the eyes of the people. You must apologise," he said.

Past Political Apologies Cited

Referring to similar allegations made by Opposition leaders in the past, Seth said, "The Aam Aadmi Party also made big allegations and later had to apologise in court. Rahul Gandhi made allegations against the son of our leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan... he later gave a written apology in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Either give proof for your allegations or apologise; otherwise, civil and criminal defamation will be pursued."

On Opposition leaders joining the BJP, Seth said people were joining the party because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and accused other parties of lacking internal democracy.

Context of Abdullah's Allegations

The development comes after the BJP on Monday served a legal notice on Omar Abdullah over his allegations made at a convention in Srinagar on July 11 that BJP office-bearers had approached National Conference MLAs from the Jammu region with offers of Rs 20-30 crore, a ministerial berth and restoration of statehood in exchange for joining the BJP.

The notice, issued by advocate Parimoksh Seth on behalf of BJP Jammu and Kashmir through its president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma, termed the allegations "false, baseless and defamatory" and sought their withdrawal along with an unconditional public apology within seven days.

The notice further states that failure to comply would result in civil and criminal proceedings, including a defamation suit seeking damages of Rs 100 crore. The allegations were made by Omar Abdullah while addressing a National Conference rally ahead of the party's proposed "Delhi Chalo" protest demanding restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. The National Conference has called for a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 to press for the restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)