Jammu And Kashmir Political Rivals Engage In Quran Swearing Challenge Over BJP Alliances

Srinagar: Political rivals in Jammu and Kashmir dared one another to swear on the Quran to clarify that they didn't seek alliances with the Bharatiya Janata Party for government formation in the union territory.

The Quran swearing challenge was triggered by BJP Leader and leader of Opposition in J&K legislature Sunil Sharma, who dared Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference leader to swear on the Quran that he didn't attempt to seek alliance with BJP in 2024 for government formation.

Speaking to reporters during the Budgam by-polls campaigning, Sharma said that Omar Abdullah should swear in a mosque or the Quran that he didn't go to Delhi in 2024 seeking support of BJP for government formation in return for the restoration of statehood. “He (Omar Abdullah) will not do it, I will swear wherever you want me to,” Sharma said.

Accepting the challenge, Omar took to X, saying he didn't seek alliance with BJP for Statehood. “I swear on the Holy Quran that I didn’t seek an alliance with the BJP in 2024 for Statehood or for any other reason. Unlike Sunil Sharma, I don’t tell lies for a living,” Omar wrote on X in reaction to Sharma.

Soon after, the People's Democratic Party jumped into the swearing-in challenge. PDP leader and legislator Waheed Parra told Omar to swear that he didn't attempt to form a government with the BJP in 2014. “Sir, @OmarAbdullah now swear for 2014, that you never tried to ally with BJP, the truth your own friend Late Devinder Singh Rana had already told,” Parra wrote on X.

Parra was referring to late Rana’s interviews, where he had alleged that Omar met several top leaders of the BJP in Delhi in 2014 for government formation. However, the PDP and BJP later formed the government, which lasted for three years until 2018.

Taking a barb at Parra, NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar hit back at the PDP leader by accusing him of voting for the BJP candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.

“Why don't you leave the Holy Quran out and keep your hand on your heart to swear that @jkpdp MLAs did not vote for BJP or deliberately cancelled vote in recent RS polls?” Dar wrote on X.

In the recently held RS polls for four seats of Jammu and Kashmir, the ruling party NC won three when it had declared support of all anti-BJP parties of Kashmir, but BJP won the fourth seat, which triggered allegations of cross-voting and deliberate invalidation of votes by PDP legislators.

Also Read:

1. CM Omar's National Law University Announcement In JK Assembly Triggers Row; BJP To File ECI Complaint
2. Jammu Kashmir Recites ‘Vande Mataram’ As LG Leads, CM Omar Abdullah Calls It ‘Outside Dictation’