The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir unit, on Monday served a legal notice on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, demanding that he withdraw allegations of poaching against the BJP and issue an unconditional public apology within seven days, failing which it has threatened to initiate civil and criminal defamation proceedings seeking damages of Rs 100 crore.
Omar Abdullah, on Saturday while addressing a party function, alleged that attempts were made to engineer defections in the National Conference, claiming one of his party legislators was offered “Rs 20-30 crore, one ministry, and statehood” in exchange for switching sides.
“If one of my Jammu MLAs had not come to me and told me this, I would not have believed it. A Supreme Court lawyer and BJP functionary told one of my Jammu MLAs in a closed room, ‘We will give you Rs 20-30 crore, a ministerial berth and statehood. Come with us.’ They think our faith is so cheap. But you will not find anyone here who is ready to sell their conscience even for Rs 100 crore, let alone Rs 20 crore,” Omar had said.
Days after Omar’s claim, the BJP sent a legal notice which was issued by advocate Parimoksh Seth on behalf of the BJP J&K president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma.
The notice alleges that Omar Abdullah, during a convention in Srinagar on July 11, made false and defamatory claims that BJP functionaries had offered bribes, including cash and ministerial positions, to National Conference MLAs to switch allegiance to the party.
The notice further states that Omar also alleged that a senior BJP office-bearer, who is a lawyer practising in the Supreme Court of India, had made the purported bribery offer to NC legislators.
Describing the allegations as ” entirely untrue, malicious and without any factual basis”, the BJP claimed that the statements had caused serious damage to the party’s reputation and public image.
The notice contends that the allegations were made intentionally to tarnish the party’s standing.
In the notice, the BJP has called upon the Chief Minister to withdraw the alleged defamatory allegations in writing, issue an unconditional public apology within seven days of receiving the notice, refrain from publishing or circulating any further statements of a similar nature against the party, and immediately cease and desist from making or repeating such allegations.
The notice further warns that failure to comply with these demands within the stipulated period would compel the BJP to initiate appropriate civil and criminal proceedings, including a defamation suit seeking damages of Rs 100 crore, along with any other legal remedies available under law.
