BJP Escalates Attack on Omar Abdullah, Accuses NC of Clinging to Power Amid Fresh Political Tensions
What are you doing? The political temperature in Jammu and Kashmir rose sharply on Sunday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its criticism of Prime Minister Omar Abdullah and the National Conference (NC) and accused the party leadership of not wanting to give up power under any circumstances.
These words came from Opposition Leader Sunil Kumar Sharma, who launched a pointed and personal attack on the Abdullah family, claiming that their policies revolve entirely around authority, protocol and preservation of the dynasty rather than public interest. Sharma’s comments follow a series of recent clashes between him and the Prime Minister, including sharp exchanges in Parliament and on social media. Last week, the two leaders sparred over various issues ranging from downgrading the administrative rating to the future political structure of J&K.
While Abdullah accused the BJP of “weaponizing uncertainty” around J&K’s status for political gain, Sharma said the NC was “playing the victim role” to avoid accountability. This back-and-forth added a new layer of tension to an already tense political environment.
Speaking to reporters here, Sharma claimed that the Abdullah family will cling to power even if the administrative status of J&K is further reduced from its current Union Territory position. He claimed that the NC leadership was “greedily devoted to the presidency and protocol” and would accept any arrangement—no matter how diminished—as long as it had political privileges. According to the BJP leader, the NC’s historical behavior has demonstrated a pattern of prioritizing personal authority over constitutional or ideological commitments.
His remarks come just ahead of a meeting of the Chief Minister with NC legislators scheduled for June 3, which is expected to focus on governance and internal party harmony. The meeting, to be held at Abdullah’s Gupkar residence, attracted attention as the Chief Minister invited not only NC MLAs but also independent legislators supporting the government. Sharma interpreted this support as an attempt to manage the opposition within the party and prevent the cracks within the party from spreading to the public.
Expanding on his criticism, Sharma asserted that Abdullah would not resign from any post, even hypothetically, if the political structure of J&K changes in the future. He suggested that he would “continue to hold this seat” even if the region was reorganized on the Hill Council model and Abdullah was reduced to the role of executive council member. The BJP leader framed this as part of a long-standing pattern in which, according to him, the Abdullah family prioritized political survival over larger goals.
He also claimed that the NC leadership would be willing to accept “anything below the Union Territory status” as long as convoy sizes, security details and official protocol are not reduced. According to Sharma, this willingness to compromise on constitutional issues while preserving personal prerogatives revealed the true motivations of the dynastic political parties in the previous state of J&K.
Sharma also extended his attack to both the NC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of exploiting emotional and political issues for decades to maintain their power. He argued that the political movements led by these parties were never aimed at the welfare of the people, but were instead designed to ensure that the “princes and princesses of the two political families” remained in positions of authority. He said ordinary citizens bear the brunt of these ambitions.
Referring to the upcoming NC meeting, Sharma claimed that Abdullah was trying to contain the growing dissatisfaction within the party ranks. He suggested that the leadership was keen to prevent internal disputes from coming to public view, especially at a time when political debates on the future administrative structure of J&K were gaining momentum.
Reiterating the BJP’s stand, Sharma accused regional parties of misleading the people with what he called unrealistic political promises. His remarks come amid renewed speculation about possible announcements from NC leadership in the coming days, as well as growing debate about the district’s governance model. The Chief Minister had on May 6 firmly rejected speculations about possible defections from the NC, claiming that no MLA party would change its allegiance to support the BJP. While speaking at an academic event in Tangmarg, near the popular ski resort Gulmarg, he also hinted at an important political message he plans to convey after Eid-al-Adha. He explained that he deliberately held back because the academic environment was not conducive to political commentary. “Trust me, I want to burst like a cloudburst,” he remarked, adding that he would speak more openly at a public gathering after the festival.
