BJP offered my party MLA Rs 20-30 crore: Omar Abdullah's 'Operation Lotus' charge

Omar Abdullah has alleged that the BJP tried to lure National Conference MLAs to topple his government. He said the offer of cash, a ministerial post and statehood failed to win over any legislator.

In Short

• Abdullah made the allegation while addressing a public rally in Srinagar
• He said a BJP leader and Supreme Court advocate contacted one MLA
• The alleged offer included cash, a ministerial berth and statehood restoration

Is "Operation Lotus" brewing in Jammu and Kashmir? That is the million-dollar question after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged that the BJP had attempted to lure National Conference MLAs to bring down his government.

Addressing a rally in Srinagar on Saturday, Abdullah claimed that a BJP leader and a Supreme Court advocate had approached one of his MLAs, allegedly offering him Rs 20-30 crore, a ministerial berth and restoration of statehood in exchange for switching sides.

"They offered him Rs 20-30 crore, a ministerial position and restoration of statehood. But they failed to purchase even one of our MLAs," Abdullah said.

He also expressed confidence that the BJP would not succeed even if it offered Rs 100 crore to each of his party's legislators.

Meanwhile, Abdullah attacked the BJP-led Centre and asked it not to mistake his patience for weakness on the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, and demanded clarity on what it meant by the "appropriate time" for taking that step.

The Chief Minister added that patience did not mean silence, and warned against taking undue advantage of it.

"I ask them, for God's sake, how will we know that the appropriate time has come. What do my colleagues and I have to do to reach that appropriate time?" he said.

Abdullah said he had initially given the Centre time to fulfil its promises after his government was formed, but alleged that the reality was that 'they want to maintain the status quo.'

- Ends