Omar Abdullah says BJP legal notice proves he is a political force they cannot ignore

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday described a legal notice from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a 'love letter', saying it proves he is a political force that the party cannot ignore. The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit served the notice over Abdullah's claim that the party attempted to bribe National Conference legislators with cash and ministerial berths to topple his government.

Speaking to reporters at the National Conference headquarters in Srinagar, Abdullah said, 'I have received a letter from a lawyer, an electronic copy. I consider this a great honour as I am the only politician in Jammu and Kashmir to have been bestowed with a love letter like this by the BJP. I consider it a mark of respect that I am obviously a political force in Jammu and Kashmir that they cannot ignore.'

The Chief Minister was responding to a question about the BJP's notice, which threatens a ₹100 crore defamation suit if he fails to prove the allegations or issue a public apology. Abdullah said he had expected a political response rather than a legal one, and criticised the BJP for 'hiding behind the courts'. He noted that he could have made the same statement in the Assembly to claim parliamentary privilege, but chose not to.

Abdullah also announced that his party would send legal notices to certain BJP leaders who, he said, have made slanderous accusations against the National Conference and its leadership over the past few months. 'Particularly, one leader has time and again levelled unfounded and slanderous allegations against us, but we have been fighting him politically. Going on now, we will begin the process of sending legal notices to that particular BJP leader and a few others and let's see where this process ends,' he said.

The BJP's legal notice asserts that Abdullah's allegations amount to defamation under civil and criminal law and demands that he withdraw his charges in writing, issue an unconditional public apology within seven days, and refrain from making further defamatory statements. The notice also warns of legal action if he fails to comply.