Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Aug 25
National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah said on Tuesday he would respond in the coming days to party president Farooq Abdullah’s demand that he resign from the Lok Sabha and seek a fresh mandate.
Ruhullah, while expressing respect for the veteran leader, did not say whether he would accept the challenge.
“It is not possible that Dr Sahab asks me for something and I don’t give it to him. It is not possible that I send him back empty-handed,” Ruhullah said.
“He has asked for something at this age. I respect him. I don’t want him to ask me for something and I return it to him empty-handed. I will give an answer in a few days,” he said.
Abdullah had challenged Ruhullah to resign and return to voters if he believed his 2024 Lok Sabha victory was primarily due to his personal political standing.
“If you think people voted for you, resign and go back to them. We will see how many votes you get,” Abdullah had said.
The exchange comes amid differences between Ruhullah and the NC leadership over Article 370, statehood and the constitutional rights of Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah has said Ruhullah was free to raise Article 370 in Parliament but questioned his approach.
Ruhullah has maintained that his political position reflects the mandate given to him by voters and that the campaign for Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights remains unfinished.
He has also indicated that he could consider resigning after taking the campaign to a certain stage.
Asked about the reopening of cases involving Kashmiri Pandits, Ruhullah said justice should be delivered but warned against revenge.
“Justice should be delivered. There should be no revenge in the name of justice,” he said.
