Omar Abdullah’s MLA poaching claims trigger legal war
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu and Kashmir unit has fired a sharp legal salvo at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, serving him a formal notice for allegedly levelling “false, baseless, malicious and defamatory” accusations that the party tried to poach National Conference MLAs with massive cash bribes and ministerial lures.
The notice, issued on July 12, gives Omar Abdullah just seven days to issue an unconditional public apology and retract his statements in writing. Failure to comply, it warns, will trigger both civil and criminal proceedings, including a massive Rs.100-crore defamation lawsuit.
#WATCH | Jammu | Advocate Parimoksh Seth, representing J&K BJP Chief Sat Paul Sharma, says, “We have served a legal notice to J&K CM Omar Abdullah to issue an apology and to withdraw his statement in the next 7 days. If he fails to do so,we will file a Rs 100 crore criminal… pic.twitter.com/hQ5EI6rhXK
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2026
Advocate Parimoksh Seth, acting on behalf of the BJP J&K unit through Rajya Sabha MP and state BJP President Sat Paul Sharma, issued the strongly worded notice.
According to the notice, Omar Abdullah, while addressing a National Conference workers’ convention in Srinagar on July 11, claimed that a BJP functionary and a Supreme Court lawyer had approached a Jammu-based National Conference MLA with mouth-watering offers: Rs.20–30 crore in cash, ministerial berths, and a firm promise to restore statehood to switch sides.
BJP’s fierce rebuttal
The BJP has categorically rejected every charge, describing them as “fabricated lies manufactured with malicious intent to tarnish the party’s image.” The notice asserts that the allegations were made without a shred of evidence and have caused “irreparable damage” to the reputation of the world’s largest political party.“The BJP has been serving the nation with dedication under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the notice underscores, accusing Omar of deliberately maligning the party for narrow political gains.
Demands and warnings
The BJP has given the Chief Minister a clear ultimatum:
- Immediately withdraw the allegations in writing.
- Tender an unconditional public apology within seven days.
- Refrain from repeating or circulating any such defamatory statements.
If Omar fails to comply, the party has vowed to initiate “appropriate civil and criminal proceedings” without any further notice, including the Rs.100-crore defamation suit and action under relevant sections of law.
The legal notice has been issued “without prejudice to all other rights and remedies available to the BJP.”This sharp escalation comes barely 24 hours after Omar Abdullah’s fiery speech in which he accused “certain forces” of trying to destabilise the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir through horse-trading and inducements. The BJP has termed the entire episode politically motivated and an attempt to divert attention from governance failures.
Omar mocks BJP notice
Omar Abdullah on Monday dismissed the BJP’s defamation notice against him, calling it a “love letter” rather than a legal notice, and said the ruling party at the Centre had chosen to “hide behind the courts” instead of responding politically.
Speaking to reporters at the National Conference headquarters, Nawa-e-Subh, after paying tributes to the July 13, 1931 martyrs, Omar Abdullah said he considered the notice a sign of his political relevance.
“It is a matter of happiness for me. I consider it a great honour. I have received a letter from a lawyer, not a legal notice. It shows I am a political force they cannot ignore,” Omar said.
Referring to the allegations over which the BJP served him the notice, Omar said he had made those remarks on a political platform and expected a political response.
“I made my point on a political stage. I expected the BJP to respond politically, but they have shown that they will hide behind the courts,” he said.
The Chief Minister also indicated that the National Conference may adopt a similar legal course against BJP leaders in the future.
“Going forward, we will also start sending legal notices to BJP leaders who level allegations against the National Conference,” Omar Abdullah added.
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