Avinash Azad
Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has dropped a political bombshell, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to poach a National Conference (NC) lawmaker through hefty financial incentives and power-sharing promises.
Speaking to a public gathering at Naseem Bagh, Srinagar, on the occasion of the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Madar-e-Meharban Begum Akbar Jehan, Abdullah asserted that a high-ranking BJP figure—who also practices as a Supreme Court attorney—met with an NC legislator representing a Jammu constituency behind closed doors.
During this private meeting, the lawmaker was allegedly offered between ₹20 to ₹30 crore, alongside a cabinet portfolio and the promise of statehood, on the condition that they defect to the saffron party.
According to the Chief Minister, the legislator flatly turned down the lucrative deal and immediately reported the poaching attempt to the party leadership. Launching a scathing attack on the opposition, Abdullah warned the BJP against trying to seize power through undemocratic means.
“Do they think the integrity of our leaders is up for sale so cheaply? Let me make it clear: there is no back-door entry to the treasury benches. The electorate has mandated you to sit in the opposition, and that is exactly where you will stay,” Omar said.
The Chief Minister also confirmed that the National Conference will aggressively press forward with its scheduled demonstration at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20, aimed at demanding the immediate restoration of complete statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
While Abdullah revealed that official police permission for the capital protest is currently being stalled, he accused rival political outfits of actively trying to derail and sabotage the NC’s schedule. Over 50 leaders across various political spectrums have been invited to join the demonstration. Abdullah concluded with a unified appeal, urging all local political factions to set aside their electoral rivalries for the next three years to collectively fight for the return of full statehood, warning that failing to do so out of fear would be a direct betrayal of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.
