Srinagar, Oct 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday firmly rejected National Conference (NC) leader and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent remarks about forming a coalition government together, stating that the party never sought such an alliance and had no interest in sharing power with the NC. Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma, said the saffron party was “comfortable sitting in opposition” and that its “doors remain closed” to the National Conference.
Responding to Abdullah’s claim that he had the option to either form the government alone or in alliance with the BJP after the assembly elections, Sharma called the statement “a fabrication” and demanded evidence or a public apology. “I don’t know what dream he had where BJP offered to form a government together. If any BJP leader ever made such an offer, let him prove it. Otherwise, he should stop misleading people and apologise,” Sharma asserted. He reiterated that “the BJP neither needed nor wanted an alliance” with the NC and accused Abdullah of twisting facts for political mileage.
The NC chief had said during an event in Anantnag’s Achabal last week that he could have joined hands with the BJP in 2015 like the PDP did but refused because he was “not willing to make that trade.” Abdullah had also claimed that partnering with the BJP might have accelerated the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, a remark that sparked sharp criticism from the saffron party.
Hitting back, Sharma claimed it was Abdullah who had approached the BJP in the past and not the other way around. “It was you knocking on BJP’s doors. We don’t want to reveal which leaders you met. Now that your recent offer was rejected, you’re trying to distort the narrative. This is political shamelessness,” he remarked. Sharma accused the Abdullah family of being “habitual liars” and of attempting to “stir hatred” against the BJP and the Centre while maintaining cordial relations in Delhi. “He goes to Delhi, offers shawls and bouquets, has tea and meals with Union ministers, but here he tries to create hostility against the BJP,” Sharma said.
On the issue of statehood, Sharma said the people of Jammu and Kashmir “do not want a statehood that returns the region to the days of violence, strikes, and disruption.” He questioned Abdullah’s record on security and governance, alleging that the previous NC-led governments had failed to protect civilians and had allowed militancy to flourish. “Do you want statehood to bring back civilian killings, enforce hartals, and keep children out of schools? People reject such statehood,” he said.
Sharma also challenged Abdullah’s frequent assertion that he lacked administrative powers. “He keeps repeating that he has no powers. Which file has the lieutenant governor not approved? Ninety-seven files have been cleared so far. He should stop misleading people and focus on governance,” he added.
The BJP leader further thanked the Centre for releasing the 21st instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme in advance, benefiting around 8.55 lakh farmers in the Union Territory with ₹171 crore directly transferred to their bank accounts. He described the move as a testament to the central government’s commitment to supporting farmers and strengthening grassroots rural livelihoods.