BJP serves Rs 100 crore defamation notice to Omar Abdullah over MLA bribery remarks

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP has served a Rs 100 crore defamation notice to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his remarks that the party was offering Rs 20-30 crore to MLAs to bring down his government.

On his party convention on July 11 to observe the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Begum Akbar Jahan popularly known as the ‘Madr-e-Meherbaan’ (Benevolent mother), Omar Abdullah alleged that a senior BJP leader had approached one of his party’s MLAs belonging to Jammu division offering Rs 20-30 crore, a ministerial berth and statehood to defect so that the National Conference government is brought down.

The defamation notice demands Omar Abdullah’s unconditional public apology and withdrawal of the remarks within seven days.

The notice warns that failure to comply would invite civil and criminal proceedings, including a defamation suit seeking Rs 100 crore in damages.

The notice was issued through Advocate Parimoksh Seth on the instructions of J&K BJP president and Rajya Sabha member, Sat Paul Sharma.

According to the notice, the Chief Minister alleged that BJP leaders had approached one National Conference MLA from the Jammu region with offers of Rs 20 crore to Rs 30 crore, ministerial berths and assurances of restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in exchange for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.

He had also claimed that a senior BJP functionary, who is also a practising Supreme Court advocate, was involved in making the alleged offers.

Rejecting the allegations, the BJP termed them “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory” and asserted that they were made without any evidence with the intention of damaging the party’s credibility and public image.

The party has called upon the Chief Minister to withdraw the allegations in writing, issue an unconditional public apology within seven days and refrain from making or repeating similar statements in future.

The notice states that if the demands are not met within the stipulated period, the BJP will initiate appropriate legal proceedings, including a Rs 100 crore civil defamation claim and criminal action under the relevant provisions of law.

It further states that the notice has been issued without prejudice to any other legal remedies available to the party.

The BJP has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated and defamatory.

IANS