After receiving a legal notice from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its allegations that the ruling party at the Center was trying to bribe National Conference (NC) legislators with money and portfolios, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched a fresh attack with a mocking fake post in the name of US President Donald Trump.
In the fake post, Trump appears to have given Abdullah a “salute” for his campaign to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“If only!” Omar Abdullah wrote on X while sharing the screenshot, indicating that it was a fake image. Trump has not made any such post on any of his social media accounts.
In the fake post, Trump appears saying: “Big things are happening in Jammu and Kashmir! I have to give a huge shout out to my friend, Prime Minister @OmarAbdallah, what a man! He works hard, talks smart, and fights for the country like a lion roars…mostly). (Without Omar saying “state or statue!” – I love that! He has style and vision, and even made the mountains cheer for him (I asked them, and they nodded). Let’s bring back statehood and make Jammu and Kashmir great again! Believe me, no one bounces back better than me…except maybe Omar in Jammu and Kashmir!” The fabricated post uses Trump’s typical style of speaking in superlatives, even mocking his “Make America Great Again” slogan.
The political standoff between the BJP and Omar Abdullah intensified on Monday, over allegations that the saffron party tried to bribe lawmakers from its own party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Congress (JKNC). Abdullah alleged 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.
BJP sends legal notice, Omar Abdullah says it’s a ‘love letter’
The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP has served a legal notice to Prime Minister Omar Abdullah over his demand for bribe. The party demanded that Abdullah provide evidence of the poaching allegation, threatening A $100 crore defamation suit if he fails to do so or make a public apology.
In response to this development, 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”.
“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 expects a political response from the BJP, as he 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 NCP working president Praful Patel refuted Prime Minister Omar Abdullah’s allegations that the BJP had tried to woo an NCP MLA.
“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.
