New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Sunday threatened to lodge a defamation case against Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Vice President of the ruling National Conference (NC) Omar Abdullah if the latter is unable to present evidence that supports his allegation of the former conspiring to break his party.

Addressing party workers a day earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir CM said: “When offers of money and ministerial posts failed, attempts are now being made behind closed doors to lure our MLAs. I will ensure the BJP cannot make a backdoor entry here.”

“They are trying once again to break the NC. I have been told that one of our MLAs from Jammu was offered Rs 20–30 crore, a ministerial berth and a promise of statehood if he joined them. They think people’s conscience is so cheap,” he said without naming the MLA.

Responding to the allegation, Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma said: “We have already rejected these allegations and challenged Omar Abdullah to name the BJP leaders allegedly involved. He will not do so because these allegations are baseless. By making irresponsible statements, Omar Abdullah is presenting his immaturity.”

“He (Abdullah) should either present evidence or the BJP has already stated that it will file a defamation case (against him). He will also have to publicly apologise,” he told IANS.

Echoing similar views, BJP National Spokesperson R.P. Singh “openly challenged” CM Abdullah to present evidence that supports the allegations. “Otherwise, he (Abdullah) will have to face a defamation case,” he said.

Maintaining there is no question of government change in Jammu and Kashmir, NCP MP Praful Patel said: “If there are differences within a party, or if for some reason people move from one party to another, it is not right to involve the Bharatiya Janata Party in everything. As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, I know very well that in the democratic tradition followed by the BJP, wherever there is a clear majority, there is no obstruction of any kind to allowing that majority to form the government.”

However, NC MP Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo defended the Chief Minister’s claims, calling him a “responsible leader”.

“When such a person makes a statement publicly, he does so with evidence and with responsibility. The BJP is asking for proof, but across the country, we have seen operations like ‘Operation Lotus’ and ‘Operation Tiger’, where elected representatives are persuaded to switch sides. Such attempts have also repeatedly been made in Jammu and Kashmir, but they will not get anything out of it,” he told IANS.

Congress MP Jebi Mather came in support of the party’s INDIA bloc ally, saying, “The BJP’s modus operandi of shopping for MLAs, buying MLAs, either through blackmailing or making huge offers, has been continuing for many years. After the delimitation attempt of the BJP-led NDA government failed in the Lok Sabha in the Budget session (of the Parliament), they are aggressively into this.”

“We are seeing this in Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab and now Kashmir,” she alleged, while terming the alleged attempts as “destroying of democracy”.

–IANS

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