Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Nov 3
The National Conference (NC) on Tuesday accused its outgoing MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of political theatrics and failing to adequately raise Jammu and Kashmir’s key political and constitutional issues in Parliament, following his announcement that he was quitting the party.
In a statement titled “Important Statement”, the NC described Ruhullah’s address as evidence of what it called his “mental and moral bankruptcy”, accusing him of using derogatory and unparliamentary language against the party leadership while invoking religious principles and human dignity.
The party also questioned his criticism of the NC’s handling of the 2010 unrest, saying he had served as a minister in the Omar Abdullah-led government during that period and had not raised the issue in the manner he was doing now.
It said Ruhullah remained in the government until he was removed during a general reshuffle and subsequently contested the 2014 Assembly elections on the party ticket.
“He conveniently forgot all about it until 2026, 16 years later,” the statement said.
On the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the NC questioned what Ruhullah had done during his parliamentary tenure to mobilise support among opposition parties and MPs for the demand.
The party recalled that Ruhullah had welcomed the resolution passed by the J&K Legislative Assembly on November 6 seeking restoration of special status, describing it as a promise delivered.
However, it asked whether he had subsequently introduced any resolution or bill in Parliament or mobilised lawmakers to support the demand.
The NC contrasted this with Ruhullah’s efforts to collect signatures from more than 100 MPs belonging to different parties for an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav.
“Can he tell us if he ever made such an effort to gather signatures of MPs for the restoration of special status or statehood?” the statement asked.
The party also questioned his interventions on what it described as the continued erosion of the elected government’s administrative powers in Jammu and Kashmir.
It alleged that several departments formally assigned to the elected government continued to function under the control of the Lieutenant Governor and asked whether Ruhullah had adequately raised the issue in Parliament.
On reservation reforms, the NC said the concerns of open-merit candidates had arisen during the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and had been prominently included in its election manifesto.
The party said its government had constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee and initiated changes to the reservation framework in fulfilment of its electoral commitment. However, it alleged that the file had subsequently been stalled by the authorities.
Questioning Ruhullah’s role, the NC asked whether he had raised the issue in Parliament or questioned the Union government over the delay in implementing the Cabinet’s decision.
It also sought to know whether he had organised protests against the Lieutenant Governor’s administration or raised concerns about alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and the exclusion of job aspirants from different regions.
Defending its political approach, the party maintained that restoration of statehood and special status were not contradictory demands and that the former would not come at the expense of the latter.
“Protection and preservation of our identity and constitutional rights form the foundation of NC’s political ideology,” the statement said, adding that abandoning these principles would amount to abandoning the party’s political legacy of more than 90 years.
The NC said restoration of constitutional rights required political strategy and sustained engagement rather than public demonstrations aimed at generating temporary attention and social media engagement.
It also accused Ruhullah of working against the party’s interests while continuing to remain associated with it, alleging that he had contributed to the NC’s defeat in the Budgam Assembly by-election.
Questioning his silence during that period, the party asked why he had undermined the organisation that had provided him with a political platform.
“Where was his conscience then?” the statement said.
The NC also highlighted Ruhullah’s political association with the party, saying he had begun his political career with the organisation, served as an MLA for three terms, held ministerial office and subsequently entered Parliament on its ticket.
It accused him of turning against the party after 25 years of association, questioning the timing and motives behind his decision to resign.
The statement came hours after Ruhullah announced his departure from the NC and submitted his resignation from the Lok Sabha, accusing the party leadership of betraying its electoral commitments and abandoning the struggle for Jammu and Kashmir’s political rights.
