The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) firmly stated on Wednesday that it has never intended to join the National Conference (NC) government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, following the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) held last year.
During a press conference, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma asserted that the party is “content sitting in the opposition” and has no plans to ally with the National Conference. He urged Abdullah to substantiate his claims or cease misleading the public.
Sharma remarked, “The BJP never offered to form a government with Omar Abdullah. If he claims so, he should show proof or stop misleading the people.” He challenged Abdullah to either present facts publicly or apologise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a recent address at Anantnag’s Achabal area, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah indicated that the NC could have allied with the BJP in 2015, similar to an arrangement with the PDP, but refrained from doing so, stating, “I am not ready to make that trade.”
Sharma quickly responded, labelling Abdullah’s stance as 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.”
The LoP further accused the Abdullah family of being “habitual liars” who aim to create hatred against the BJP and the Centre in Kashmir while maintaining friendly relations in Delhi.
Referring to Abdullah’s interactions with Union ministers, Sharma pointed out, “He presents shawls, has tea, and dines with them in Delhi, but in Jammu and Kashmir, he says he won’t allow the BJP to form the government. This double-faced politics won’t work.”
Sharma attributed Abdullah’s anti-BJP rhetoric to a “toolkit to spread hatred” ahead of the upcoming Budgam bypolls.
On the subject of statehood restoration, Sharma stated that people do not desire a return to a system that incites unrest.
“Do you want statehood for protests, killings, and shutdowns? The people of J&K crave peace, not politics of violence,” he emphasized.
He also dismissed Abdullah’s claims of insufficient administrative powers, saying, “The Lieutenant Governor has approved 97 out of 97 files sent to him. Which power are you missing?”
Concluding his remarks, Sharma advised Abdullah to “focus on governance instead of fooling people.” He expressed gratitude toward the Central Government for releasing the 21st instalment of PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, distributing ₹171 crore to 8.55 lakh farmers in Jammu and Kashmir.
