Jammu, July 12: Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of attempting to reinvent his political image as a strong opponent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a bid to divert attention from what he described as the National Conference government’s failure to fulfil promises made during the 2024 Assembly elections.
Addressing reporters, Sharma alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to shift the political narrative by levelling allegations against the BJP instead of responding to growing public dissatisfaction over governance and unfulfilled commitments. He claimed that Omar Abdullah was facing increasing criticism from the people and was therefore trying to portray himself as a fierce political rival of the BJP.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s recent allegation that a BJP leader had offered ₹20–30 crore to one of the National Conference legislators to switch allegiance, Sharma demanded that Omar Abdullah produce credible evidence to support the claim.
“If there is even a shred of proof behind the allegation, I am prepared to publicly apologise,” Sharma said, adding that if no evidence is presented, the BJP would be left with no option but to explore legal remedies against the Chief Minister for making what he termed “baseless and defamatory” accusations.
The BJP leader further alleged that the Chief Minister’s statements were intended to distract the public from issues concerning governance and accountability. According to Sharma, the ruling dispensation had failed to deliver on several key promises made before the Assembly elections and was now attempting to change the political discourse through confrontational rhetoric against the BJP.
Sharma also claimed that Omar Abdullah was aware of the political challenges before him and was trying to leave behind an image of a leader who stood up to the BJP. He, however, asserted that the public would instead remember the present government for what he described as ineffective leadership and poor governance during its tenure.
Reiterating the BJP’s demand, Sharma urged the Chief Minister to either substantiate his allegations with facts or withdraw the remarks and apologise publicly, maintaining that political discourse should be based on evidence rather than unverified claims.(KNC)
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