The notice, issued Monday through senior advocate Parimoksh Seth, demands that Abdullah withdraw his statement and issue a public apology within seven days. If he doesn't, Sharma's legal team says it will pursue a criminal defamation case seeking ₹100 crore in damages.

The dispute traces back to July 11, when Abdullah, speaking at a convention in Srinagar, alleged that a senior BJP office-bearer had offered National Conference MLAs between ₹20 and 30 crore in cash, along with a ministerial post and a promise to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, in exchange for defecting. Abdullah went further, claiming the BJP functionary who allegedly made the offer was a lawyer who practices in the Supreme Court of India — a detail widely read as pointing toward Sharma himself, given his legal background.

Advocate Seth, representing Sharma, said the allegations are entirely false and fabricated. He said the BJP had asked the Chief Minister to produce evidence supporting the claims, and that Abdullah's side had failed to do so. The notice argues that the statement, which spread across print, electronic and social media, caused serious damage to the reputation and dignity of both the BJP and Sharma personally.

Speaking about the notice, Seth said the legal team had given Abdullah seven days to apologise and retract his statement, warning that failure to do so would result in a ₹100 crore criminal defamation case. He reiterated that the allegations were baseless and that no evidence had been presented despite the BJP's request.

Neither Abdullah nor the National Conference had issued a public response to the legal notice at the time of publishing. The seven-day deadline set in the notice means any response — or lack of one — is likely to shape the next stage of what has already become one of the more heated political confrontations in Jammu and Kashmir this year.