Srinagar, July 13: Days after accusing the BJP of attempting to topple the National Conference government by allegedly offering one of its MLAs ₹20–30 crore, a ministerial berth and an assurance of statehood in exchange for switching sides, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday responded to the BJP’s legal notice with sarcasm, describing it as a “love letter” and announcing that the National Conference would now initiate legal proceedings against senior BJP leaders over what he termed months of “baseless and defamatory” allegations.
Speaking to reporters, Omar said he had not been formally served with any summons and had only received an electronic copy of the notice through a lawyer.
“I consider this a great honour because I am perhaps the only politician in Jammu and Kashmir to receive such a love letter from the BJP. I take it as a mark of respect because it shows they regard me as a political force they cannot ignore,” he said.
Referring to the controversy that sparked the legal exchange, Omar maintained that his remarks regarding the alleged attempt to induce an NC legislator were made from a political platform with the expectation of a political rebuttal.
Instead, he alleged, the BJP had chosen to move the courts.
“I could have made the same statement inside the Assembly and taken shelter under legislative privilege where it could not have been challenged. I deliberately chose a public platform because I expected a political response. Unfortunately, the BJP has decided that political battles will be fought through the courts,” he said.
The Chief Minister as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust accused the BJP of repeatedly making what he described as false and slanderous allegations against the National Conference and its leadership over the past several months, particularly targeting Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma without naming him.
Omar announced that the National Conference would now begin issuing legal notices to a particular leader (Sunil Sharma) and certain other BJP leaders, saying the party would pursue the matter through legal channels instead of merely responding politically.
“Let us now see where this legal process leads,” he remarked. [KNT]
