Srinagar, July 13 (KNB): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir, has served a legal notice upon Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, demanding that he either produce concrete evidence to substantiate his allegations of political “poaching” against the party or issue a public apology, failing which it has warned of initiating a defamation suit seeking damages of ₹100 crore.
The legal notice, dated July 13, has been issued through Advocate Parimoksh Seth on the instructions of BJP J&K President and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma. The notice has been sent to the Chief Minister through post/mail.
The notice pertains to remarks allegedly made by Omar Abdullah while addressing party workers at Dargah on July 11, wherein he claimed that BJP leaders had attempted to lure a National Conference MLA from the Jammu region by offering ₹20–30 crore, a ministerial berth and restoration of statehood in exchange for switching political allegiance. The BJP has also objected to the alleged claim that a senior BJP functionary, who is also a practising lawyer in the Supreme Court, had offered bribes to National Conference legislators.
Describing the allegations as false, baseless, malicious and defamatory, the BJP has maintained that the statements have caused serious damage to the party’s reputation and public image. Through the notice, the party has called upon the Chief Minister to either furnish evidence supporting his allegations or withdraw the remarks and issue an unconditional public apology within seven days.
The BJP has further stated that if Omar Abdullah fails to provide proof in support of his allegations or does not apologise, it will proceed with appropriate civil and criminal legal action, including filing a defamation suit claiming damages of ₹100 crore.
There was no immediate response from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah or the National Conference on the legal notice at the time of filing this report. (KNB)