Omar Abdullah alleges BJP plot to break NC, MLAs offered ₹20-30 cr each
Synopsis
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has gone on the offensive, alleging that BJP operatives are offering NC MLAs up to ₹30 crore each — plus a statehood sweetener — to engineer the collapse of his government. The claim, made at a deeply symbolic family event, signals that the NC's two-year posture of quiet dialogue with the Centre has reached a breaking point, with a Jantar Mantar protest now locked in for 20 July.
Key Takeaways
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged on 11 July that NC MLAs were being offered ₹20–30 crore each , ministerial posts, and a statehood promise to defect.
He specifically claimed one NC legislator from Jammu had been approached, without naming the individual.
The National Conference will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 20 July demanding statehood restoration.
Abdullah challenged the Centre to publicly state whether statehood is conditional on the BJP forming the government in J&K.
He criticised Raj Bhavan for overriding the elected government on key decisions, questioning the purpose of the elections.
Remarks were made at the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother Begum Akbar Jahan at Hazratbal, Srinagar .
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday, 11 July alleged an active conspiracy to engineer defections in the ruling National Conference (NC), claiming that party legislators were being offered between ₹20 crore and ₹30 crore each — along with ministerial berths and a promise of statehood restoration — to switch political allegiance and bring down his government.
What Omar Abdullah Alleged
Addressing party workers at the mausoleum of his grandmother, Begum Akbar Jahan — popularly known as 'Madr-e-Meharbaan' (the benevolent mother) — at Hazratbal in Srinagar on her 26th death anniversary, Abdullah said attempts were being made 'behind closed doors' to lure NC legislators after earlier offers of money and ministerial posts had reportedly failed.
'When offers of money and ministerial posts failed, attempts are now being made behind closed doors to lure our MLAs. I will ensure the BJP cannot make a backdoor entry here,' he said.
He specifically claimed that one NC legislator from Jammu had been offered ₹20–30 crore, a ministerial berth, and a statehood guarantee to defect, though he declined to name the MLA. 'They think people's conscience is so cheap,' he said.
The Statehood Demand and Planned Protest
Abdullah used the occasion to sharpen his party's demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, announcing that the NC would hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 20 July.
'We have spent nearly two years seeking the restoration of statehood through dialogue rather than confrontation. But today we are compelled to speak of protest because something has clearly changed,' he said.
Citing the Centre's submissions before the Supreme Court during the Article 370 proceedings, he recalled a three-step road map — delimitation, Assembly elections, and statehood restoration — and argued that the first two steps had been completed without the third being honoured. 'Delimitation has been completed, elections have been held and the people have given us the mandate. What is our fault now?' he asked.
A Direct Challenge to the Centre
In pointed remarks, Abdullah asked the Centre to clarify whether statehood restoration was contingent on a change in the political dispensation in J&K. 'If that is your position, have the courage to say publicly that until your party forms the government here, statehood will not be restored,' he said, addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) directly.
He also raised concerns about the functioning of the elected government, questioning the role of Raj Bhavan in key administrative decisions. 'If everything has to be run from Raj Bhavan, if employees are to be dismissed and all major decisions taken there, then why were elections held? Why were we brought into government with our hands tied behind our backs?' he said.
Party Unity and the Legacy of Begum Akbar Jahan
Invoking the legacy of his grandmother, who witnessed the imprisonment of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and the NC split of 1984 yet remained steadfast, Abdullah framed the current pressure as a test of patience rather than a sign of weakness.
'The biggest lesson she taught us was that patience is not weakness... If anyone mistakes our patience for weakness, they are mistaken. Our patience is our strength and God willing, it will become our victory,' he said.
NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and nearly all senior party leaders were present at Hazratbal to pay tribute. With the Jantar Mantar protest now confirmed for 20 July, the NC's posture toward the Centre is set to shift from quiet negotiation to open public pressure.
Point of View
Made at a family memorial rather than a political rally, carry deliberate symbolism — invoking the NC's history of surviving existential pressure lends the charge emotional weight that a press conference would not. But the more consequential signal is the shift from dialogue to street protest over statehood: two years of patience have yielded nothing, and the NC now faces the risk that its moderate posture is being read in New Delhi as an absence of leverage. The Raj Bhavan critique is also notable — it frames the elected government as functionally subordinate, which, if sustained as a public narrative, could embarrass the Centre ahead of any future constitutional normalisation of J&K. Whether the Jantar Mantar protest translates into political pressure or dissipates as a one-day event will determine how seriously the BJP needs to take this escalation.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Omar Abdullah allege about BJP and NC MLAs?
Omar Abdullah alleged that BJP operatives were offering NC MLAs between ₹20 crore and ₹30 crore each, along with ministerial posts and a promise of statehood restoration, to engineer defections and bring down his government. He said one MLA from Jammu had specifically been approached, though he did not name the legislator.
What protest has the NC announced over statehood?
The National Conference has announced a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 20 July to demand the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. Abdullah said the party was shifting from dialogue to public protest because the Centre had not honoured its three-step road map.
What is the three-step road map Omar Abdullah referred to?
Abdullah cited the Centre's submissions before the Supreme Court during the Article 370 proceedings, which outlined a sequence of delimitation, Assembly elections, and then statehood restoration. He argued that the first two steps were complete and the third remained unfulfilled without explanation.
Why did Omar Abdullah criticise Raj Bhavan?
Abdullah questioned the purpose of holding elections if key administrative decisions — including employee dismissals — continued to be taken from Raj Bhavan rather than by the elected government. He said the NC had been 'brought into government with our hands tied behind our backs.'
Where and why did Omar Abdullah make these remarks?
Abdullah spoke at the mausoleum of his grandmother Begum Akbar Jahan at Hazratbal in Srinagar, on the occasion of her 26th death anniversary on 11 July. NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and most senior party leaders were present at the event.
