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Without revealing names, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday claimed that the BJP attempted to lure one of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference's (JKNC) MLAs with an offer of Rs 20-30 crore and a ministerial berth to switch sides.
Abdullah said the MLA rejected it and informed him about the approach. "A BJP official, a Supreme Court lawyer, told one of my Jammu MLAs in a closed room, 'We will give Rs 20 to 30 crore, one ministry, and statehood. You walk with us.' Do they think that the faith of these people is so cheap?" Abdullah asserted while addressing the gathering here. He further accused the BJP of attempting to come to power through "the back door". "BJP people, don't consider us so weak. There will be no entry for you from the back door. You will not come to the front chair from the back door. Currently, the people have kept you behind, and you will remain behind," he said. Referring to the NC's proposed July 20 protest in New Delhi demanding restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the programme would go ahead despite not receiving permission. "Our July 20 programme is on. We are being accused of not consulting others, but this is not an issue of the National Conference alone. It concerns everyone, whether they belong to political parties or not. All legislators, past and present, have been invited because the fight for statehood is for all," he said. He also appealed to political leaders across parties to unite on the issue. "I appeal to all the leaders to forget the electoral battle for the next three years and join hands for the fight for statehood. If they stay away because of fear or coercion, they will betray the people," Abdullah said. Earlier on Friday, Abdullah said that the National Conference has not received permission for its July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, demanding restoration of full statehood for the Union Territory. Full statehood has been a part of NC's long-standing demand following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. National Conference has invited 52 leaders across party lines for the protest at Jantar Mantar. Addressing a meeting in Srinagar, Omar alleged an intent on "sabotaging" the National Conference's protest. CM Abdullah said, "We are still in the process of trying to secure that permission. It didn't even take 24 hours for the cockroach party to get permission, whereas we have been at it for four or five days now. Some people are intent on sabotaging our program; they changed their dates to coincide with ours." Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Centre formed two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the status of a state would be restored once the situation normalises. In 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the move to abrogate Article 370, while not taking up the question of the restoration of statehood, as the Centre had submitted that it would be restored in due time. (ANI)
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