Warns of leaving party if it fails to return to its stand
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Nov 16: Senior National Conference (NC) leader and Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi today accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of disrespecting Kashmiris and appeasement of Prime Minister Modi. He warned that he would remain with the party only if it returns to its “principled stand of 2024.”
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Addressing a large gathering at his residence – his first public appearance after returning from Germany – the MP accused the party leadership of abandoning commitments made to the people, asserting that if this “return” does not happen, he would stand against the NC.
Ruhullah accused the Chief Minister of treating people “with disgust and anger” while showing a different attitude toward those “more powerful.”
“He disrespects Kashmiris, who are already downtrodden, but shows another face to those greater than him. This can be seen from speeches at Sonamarg and Katra,” he said.
On the Chief Minister’s remarks about him after the bypoll results, the MP said: “He talked about political suicide for the party, but why can’t he think beyond the politics of becoming and not becoming an MLA?”
He also blamed the party for its defeat in the recent Budgam bypoll, saying the loss stemmed from “disrespecting the sentiments of the people.”
Ruhullah said the party had drifted from its earlier position and was now marked by “dishonesty.”
He added that his association with the NC would depend entirely on its willingness to return to the principle-based politics on which people had voted for it in 2024 and on its ability to “apologize” for its “mistakes.”
“Come back to discipline; come and accept that a mistake was made, and I will once again start working for the party,” he said.
The NC leader clarified that he had no personal ambition to enter the UT Assembly and had rejected related offers.
He revealed that he had turned down an offer to contest the Budgam bypoll and even to serve as a Minister.
“I offered my resignation right there during the working committee meeting. I told them to keep the MP seat – I don’t need it,” he said.
Explaining his silence during the bypoll campaign, Ruhullah said he neither asked anyone to vote for the NC nor endorsed any candidate.
“I stayed silent, and people turned Budgam upside down. The results reflect the disrespect of the people’s sentiments,” he said.
He added that he had worked hard in 2024 only to consolidate votes and keep the BJP – and other parties that could eventually align with the BJP – away.
“We once had a party that sought votes against the BJP but later allied with them, and you saw what happened,” he said.
According to him, the recent bypoll results show that when parties like NC fail to “hold the hand of Kashmiris,” people are left with no option but to turn to parties “controlled from Delhi.”
Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remark that his silence was meant to “send a message,” the MP said he did not remain quiet for political signalling.
“I remained silent to listen to my conscience. I will never accept power that betrays people,” he said, without naming the Chief Minister.
Ruhullah also criticised the NC’s proposed signature campaign for Statehood, arguing that it resembled something “the BJP would have done.”
He said people had already voted not just for the restoration of Statehood but for “everything that was taken away from them.”
He said he could not ask people to vote for the NC during the bypoll because the party had “changed its stand.”
“You can change your word; I cannot. If I had campaigned, what would I have told people?” he asked.
Responding to NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah’s comment that Ruhullah “belongs to the NC,” he said – again without naming him – that he belonged to any party only because of the people. “There is no connection with any party without people,” he said.
He added that he would not subscribe to any discipline “that comes with dishonesty.”
“Bring the party back to its principles. Do not expect anything from me if it takes another track. Listen to Kashmiris and open your ears,” he said.
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