The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has categorically denied any intention to join the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir. This statement came during a press conference on Wednesday.
BJP’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, emphasized that the party is satisfied with its role in opposition and has no plans to ally with the NC. He firmly stated, “The BJP never offered to form a government with Omar Abdullah. If he claims so, he should show proof or stop misleading the people.”
Sharma urged Omar Abdullah to either back his claims with evidence or publicly apologize to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to rectify the misinformation.
In a statement made during a recent visit to Anantnag’s Achabal area, Chief Minister Abdullah mentioned that he could have allied with the BJP in 2015, similar to how the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) did, but chose not to. He remarked, “I am not ready to make that trade.”
Reacting to Abdullah’s assertions, Sharma harshly criticized the Chief Minister for what he called political hypocrisy. He said, “You were the one knocking on BJP’s doors. When your recent offer was rejected, you started crying foul. This is the height of political shamelessness.”
Sharma labeled the Abdullah family as “habitual liars” who aim to incite animosity towards the BJP and the Centre while maintaining friendly relations with the government in Delhi. He remarked, “He presents shawls, has tea, and dines with them in Delhi, but in Jammu and Kashmir, he claims he won’t allow the BJP to form the government. This double-faced politics won’t work.”
He further implied that Abdullah utilizes anti-BJP rhetoric as part of a wider strategy to cultivate division ahead of the upcoming Budgam bypolls.
On the contentious matter of statehood restoration, Sharma asserted that the public does not wish to return to conditions that breed unrest. “Do you want statehood for protests, killings, and shutdowns? People of J&K want peace, not politics of violence,” he remarked.
Sharma also contested Abdullah’s assertions regarding a lack of administrative powers, noting that the Lieutenant Governor has approved all 97 files submitted to him. “Which power are you missing?” he asked pointedly.
Concluding his address, Sharma encouraged Abdullah to concentrate on governance instead of misleading the populace. He expressed gratitude to the Central Government for its support, citing the release of the 21st instalment of PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, which contributed ₹171 crore to 8.55 lakh farmers in Jammu and Kashmir.
