Srinagar: National Conference Monday objected to the remarks made by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in an interview where he linked party vice president’s Omar Abdullah’s release from detention with the political hullaballoo Omar’s brother-in-law and Congress politician Sachin Pilot has created in Rajasthan.
In an interview published by The Hindu on Monday, Baghel, when asked about the political upheaval in Rajasthan, said: “See, in Madhya Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia lost the Lok Sabha election. He wasn’t used to living a life without having any public post. This just made him restless. And as far as Sachin Pilot is concerned, not that I have been tracking the Rajasthan events so closely, but it does make one curious why Omar Abdullah was released? He and Mehbooba Muftiji were booked under the same Sections of the law, while she is still languishing, he is out. Is it because Mr. Abdullah is brother-in-law of Sachin Pilot?”
Reacting to it, Omar Abdullah tweeted: “I am fed up of the downright malicious and false allegation that what Sachin Pilot is doing is somehow linked to my or my father’s release from detention earlier this year. Enough is enough. Mr Bhupesh Baghel will be hearing from my lawyers.“
In a statement, NC said that the party has taken note of and expresses strong objection to the latest interview given by Baghel wherein he “maliciously suggested that the release of our Vice President Omar Abdullah from preventive detention was somehow related to Sachin Pilot or the present political situation unravelling in Rajasthan.”
“The party unequivocally rejects such malicious, false and politically motivated statements that are used for convenient political posturing,” read the statement.
It said that the remarks were “false and defamatory to the reputation of Omar Abdullah”.
“It is within the province of public knowledge that the release of Omar Abdullah happened after judicial intervention was sought from the Supreme Court and the illegal order of detention of Abdullah was challenged. Given the indefensible nature of the illegal detention order the same was revoked by the Government during the course of the proceedings before the Supreme Court,” the NC said.
“We have taken cognizance of the libellous statement of Baghel and we are presently in the process of consulting our lawyers and shall be initiating appropriate legal action against the aforesaid statement. A detailed response shall follow thereafter,” read the statement.
