The political standoff between the BJP and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intensified on Monday, over allegations that the saffron party tried to bribe National Conference legislators with money and portfolios.
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP has served a legal notice to Chief Minister Abdullah over his allegation that the BJP “offered $“Rs 20-30 crore” to at least one NC MLA in an attempt to topple his government, news agency PTI reported.
Read also | $Rs 20-30 Crore “Poaching Allegation”>BJP v Omar Abdullah: Seeking “Proof” of “ $Rs 20-30 crore poaching claim
Reacting to the development, CM Abdullah told reporters at the National Conference headquarters that he considered this a “great honour” and referred to the legal notice as a “love letter”.
These statements come after the legal notice sent to him by the BJP in which he threatened to $100-crore defamation suit if he fails to prove the MLA’s poaching allegations or issue a public apology.
“I have received a letter from a lawyer, soft copy. I consider this a great honor because I am the only politician in Jammu and Kashmir who has received such a love letter from the BJP. I consider it a mark of respect because I am clearly a political force in Jammu and Kashmir that they cannot ignore,” CM Abdullah said.
Read also | ‘BJP respects democratic traditions’: NDA leaders defend against Omar Abdullah’s accusation of ‘trying to break my party’.
Abdullah further stated that he was expecting a political response from the BJP since he had made a political statement.
“It is a symbol of the way the BJP fights. They fight political battles and hide behind the courts,” he said.
He added, “I could have made the same statement and hidden behind the council. I could have taken advantage of the privileges granted to me by making statements in the council that could not be challenged outside the council, but I did not.”
Without naming anyone, he added, “In particular, one leader has repeatedly made baseless and slanderous allegations against us, but we have been fighting him politically. From now, we will start the process of sending legal notices to this BJP leader and a few others, and let us see where this process ends up.”
What legal notice does CM Abdullah say
The legal notice confirms that the allegations amount to defamation under civil and criminal law. He calls on the Prime Minister to withdraw the charges against him in writing.
“Issued an unconditional public apology within seven days of receiving the notice. Refrain from publishing or circulating any further defamatory material relating to the BJP. Immediately cease and desist from making or repeating any such statements,” PTI reported.
Read also | ‘Enough is enough’: Omar Abdullah takes J&K statehood drive to Delhi
The NDA ally responded to Omar’s accusation
Earlier on Sunday, BJP ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Praful Patel refuted allegations made by CM Omar Abdullah that the BJP had tried to woo one of the Nationalist Congress Party (NC MLAs).
“The BJP fully respects democratic traditions; the National Conference was the single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir and had the support of the Congress. No obstacles were put in the way of this alliance to form a government there and this is a healthy democratic exercise,” Patel was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
“Today, the Congress and other parties run governments in many Indian states; any talk or suggestion of suppressing democracy in those places is wrong. The BJP always works with faith in the democratic process,” he said.
