BJP rejects Omar Abdullah's cash-for-MLAs charge, demands proof or apology
Omar Abdullah has accused the BJP of trying to split the National Conference by offering money to MLAs. The BJP has denied the charge, demanded proof or an apology, and threatened legal action.
The BJP on Sunday hit back at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his allegation that the party was trying to poach National Conference MLAs to bring down his government. The party rejected the charge as baseless and asked Abdullah to introspect about the kind of leaders he has in his party instead of making what it called speculative claims.
The exchange followed Abdullah's remarks on Saturday that BJP leaders were using money power to engineer a split in the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir. He claimed that some of his party's MLAs were offered between Rs 20 crore and Rs 30 crore to switch sides.
Addressing a workers' convention at the mausoleum of his grandparents at Hazratbal in Srinagar on the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Akbar Jehan, Abdullah said the BJP was trying to topple his government by luring away his MLAs. Responding to the charge, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the allegation was "speculative and without any basis" and added that the party does not believe in any action that weakens democracy or goes against the democratic spirit.
Patra said, "I find it astonishing when any leader speaks about his own party members in such a way, claiming that his people can be bought for sums like Rs 30 crore or Rs 12 crore." Referring to a remark he attributed to late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj in Parliament, he said, "Are your MPs up for sale? Are your MLAs up for sale?.. Do you not even have enough faith in your own leaders to trust that they won't sell themselves?" He added that if Abdullah believed this to be the case, there should be "some introspection as to what kind of people are in the party who can be bought".
On Saturday, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also criticised Abdullah, calling the allegation "extremely irresponsible and baseless". He said the chief minister should either provide "evidence" to support the charge or apologise. Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson and MLA R S Pathania said that if Abdullah does not apologise, the BJP will "file a defamation case against him for making misleading and unsubstantiated allegations intended to create confusion among the people".
Trivedi further claimed that Abdullah had made the accusation to divert attention from his government's "incompetence, inaction and misgovernance" in Jammu and Kashmir. Pathania said, "Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should disclose the names of the MLAs who were allegedly offered money, identify the BJP leaders involved, and reveal when and where the alleged offers were made." He added, "If such a serious incident occurred, why was it not reported to the investigating agencies? An elected chief minister cannot make such allegations without placing evidence before the authorities." Pathania also said the National Conference had received a five-year mandate but had been "exposed" within the first year for "failing" to honour its promises.
The BJP's response came a day after Abdullah alleged an attempt to split the National Conference through cash offers to its MLAs, with the party firmly denying the charge and demanding proof or an apology.
The BJP on Sunday hit back at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his allegation that the party was trying to poach National Conference MLAs to bring down his government. The party rejected the charge as baseless and asked Abdullah to introspect about the kind of leaders he has in his party instead of making what it called speculative claims.
The exchange followed Abdullah's remarks on Saturday that BJP leaders were using money power to engineer a split in the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir. He claimed that some of his party's MLAs were offered between Rs 20 crore and Rs 30 crore to switch sides.
Addressing a workers' convention at the mausoleum of his grandparents at Hazratbal in Srinagar on the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Akbar Jehan, Abdullah said the BJP was trying to topple his government by luring away his MLAs. Responding to the charge, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the allegation was "speculative and without any basis" and added that the party does not believe in any action that weakens democracy or goes against the democratic spirit.
Patra said, "I find it astonishing when any leader speaks about his own party members in such a way, claiming that his people can be bought for sums like Rs 30 crore or Rs 12 crore." Referring to a remark he attributed to late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj in Parliament, he said, "Are your MPs up for sale? Are your MLAs up for sale?.. Do you not even have enough faith in your own leaders to trust that they won't sell themselves?" He added that if Abdullah believed this to be the case, there should be "some introspection as to what kind of people are in the party who can be bought".
On Saturday, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also criticised Abdullah, calling the allegation "extremely irresponsible and baseless". He said the chief minister should either provide "evidence" to support the charge or apologise. Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson and MLA R S Pathania said that if Abdullah does not apologise, the BJP will "file a defamation case against him for making misleading and unsubstantiated allegations intended to create confusion among the people".
Trivedi further claimed that Abdullah had made the accusation to divert attention from his government's "incompetence, inaction and misgovernance" in Jammu and Kashmir. Pathania said, "Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should disclose the names of the MLAs who were allegedly offered money, identify the BJP leaders involved, and reveal when and where the alleged offers were made." He added, "If such a serious incident occurred, why was it not reported to the investigating agencies? An elected chief minister cannot make such allegations without placing evidence before the authorities." Pathania also said the National Conference had received a five-year mandate but had been "exposed" within the first year for "failing" to honour its promises.
The BJP's response came a day after Abdullah alleged an attempt to split the National Conference through cash offers to its MLAs, with the party firmly denying the charge and demanding proof or an apology.
