J&K BJP Sends Rs 100 Crore Defamation Notice to Omar Abdullah Over ‘MLA Poaching’ Allegations

Jammu, July 2026 : The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has served a legal notice seeking Rs 100 crore in damages from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his allegations that BJP leaders were attempting to topple the National Conference government by offering huge sums of money and political incentives to legislators.

The notice, issued through Advocate Parimoksh Seth on the instructions of J&K BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma, accuses the Chief Minister of making “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory” statements aimed at tarnishing the image and credibility of the BJP.

The controversy stems from Omar Abdullah’s speech at a National Conference convention held on July 11 to mark the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Begum Akbar Jahan, fondly remembered as the Madr-e-Meherbaan (Benevolent Mother).

During his address, Abdullah alleged that a senior BJP leader had approached one of the National Conference MLAs from the Jammu region with an offer of Rs 20-30 crore, a ministerial berth and a promise of restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in exchange for joining the BJP and helping bring down the National Conference government.

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

Strongly rejecting the allegations, the BJP maintained that the claims were made without any supporting evidence and were intended solely to mislead the public and damage the party’s reputation.

In its legal notice, the BJP has demanded that Omar Abdullah immediately withdraw his statements, issue an unconditional public apology and refrain from repeating similar allegations in the future.

The party has given the Chief Minister seven days to comply with these demands. Failing this, the BJP has warned that it will initiate both civil and criminal proceedings, including a Rs 100 crore defamation suit, against him under the relevant provisions of law.

The notice also states that the proposed legal action will be in addition to any other remedies available to the party under the law.

The BJP has consistently denied the allegations since they were made, describing them as politically motivated and entirely fabricated. Party leaders insist that the accusations were designed to divert public attention and create a false political narrative.

The exchange has further intensified the political confrontation between the ruling National Conference and the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, with the legal battle now set to add another dimension to the ongoing war of words between the two sides.