National Conference refutes claims of coalition talks with BJP; asks newspaper to apologise

Srinagar: The National Conference (NC) has strongly dismissed rumors of a possible coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir, calling them baseless and malicious. NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, in a strongly worded statement on X, refuted a report published by a newspaper, alleging that it sought to mislead the people of Jammu & Kashmir.

“This news being peddled by certain so-called journalists of The Sunday Guardian is nothing but a blatant lie, driven by malicious intent to mislead the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sadiq wrote. “It is disgraceful and irresponsible for anyone to spread such baseless rumors without an iota of truth.”

The allegations claimed that NC Vice President Omar Abdullah had met with “top BJP leadership” to discuss a potential alliance, a claim which Sadiq vehemently denied.

He challenged the journalist behind the report to name the BJP leaders alleged to have met Omar Abdullah or retract the story and issue a public apology. “For the record, his meeting with the Hon. Home Minister in North Block was in full view of the media. If this so-called journalist claims otherwise, let him substantiate his allegations with evidence or admit to his lies,” he added.

Sadiq also warned of legal action if the claims were not retracted and an apology issued. “If this fabricated story is not retracted immediately, accompanied by a public apology, we reserve the right to take legal action against those responsible for tarnishing our image and misleading the public. Let this be a warning: such dishonest journalism will not be tolerated,” he said.

The report, published by the newspaper, suggested that the NC was exploring an alliance with the BJP, a claim that has drawn sharp criticism from NC leaders and supporters alike.

As of now, the newspaper has not responded to Sadiq’s allegations or his demand for a retraction and apology.