Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Srinagar Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday announced that he is severing ties with the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and resigning from his Lok Sabha membership. He accused the party leadership of abandoning its electoral commitments on Article 370, constitutional rights, reservation, employment and other promises made during the 2024 Assembly elections.
Addressing a large gathering at Behisht-e-Zehra Park in Budgam on the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi, Ruhullah delivered a lengthy speech in which he directly criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and NC President Farooq Abdullah. He said his decision was rooted in political principles and not in disappointment over being denied a position.
Ruhullah said the Chief Minister had campaigned on the restoration of Article 370 but later shifted the emphasis to statehood. He described the change as a betrayal of the public mandate and said he did not wish to remain part of what he considered political deceit. “Rationalisation of reservation, 200 units of electricity, restoration of constitutional guarantees, that was the fight,” he said, recalling the commitments made to voters.
He also questioned the government’s handling of the reservation issue, the promise of 200 units of free electricity, the pledge of 12 free LPG cylinders annually and the promise of one lakh jobs. On the release of political prisoners, he said the demand had been part of the party’s election-time commitments, which the leadership had abandoned.
The MP accused the leadership of reducing its agenda to retaining power and securing ministerial positions. He questioned the NC’s approach towards the Union government, arguing that the party had not done enough to carry Jammu and Kashmir’s demands into the national political debate. He also criticised Omar Abdullah for publicly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi during official engagements, saying such occasions could have been used to press for the restoration of constitutional rights.
Ruhullah referred to Farooq Abdullah’s remarks challenging him to restore Article 370 if he believed it was possible, saying those remarks had given him clarity about the leadership’s position. He also raised concerns over what he described as threats to the region’s political autonomy, identity, religious and cultural character, and demography.
He said he had first tried to challenge the party’s direction from within, but could no longer continue in an organisation whose actions, in his view, contradicted its promises. He called his resignation a “decree of freedom” and said he wanted to bring honest and compassionate young people into politics. Rather than simply moving to another party, he said he wanted to build a movement for the restoration of dignity and respect, and would look for trustworthy people before deciding the shape or name of any future platform. He added that he could contest a by-election as an Independent if required.
Elected from Srinagar on an NC ticket in 2024, Ruhullah said the party had failed to honour its mandate. His resignation from the seat will take effect once it is dealt with by the Lok Sabha Speaker under the applicable procedure.
