Srinagar, Nov 3 (PTI) Hours after its Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Ruhullah announced his resignation from the National Conference as well as his parliamentary seat, the party on Tuesday mounted a scathing counterattack targeting the leader over his criticism of the NC leadership and his stand on key political issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Conference (NC) accused Ruhullah of hypocrisy, political opportunism, self-obsession and betraying the party that shaped his political career, while questioning his contribution to the causes of special status, statehood and reservation rights.
Defending its political position, the NC asserted that restoration of statehood would never come at the expense of special status, declaring that the protection of Jammu and Kashmir’s identity and constitutional rights remained the foundation of its over 90-year-old political legacy.
Ruhullah on Tuesday announced his resignation from the NC and his Lok Sabha seat at a rally in Budgam marking the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi, who was assassinated in 2000.
In a strongly worded statement, the NC termed Ruhullah’s speech at Budgam a manifestation of his “mental and moral bankruptcy”, and an example of his “self-obsession”.
“While invoking the holy Quran and the divine message of dignity and respect for human beings, Ruhullah’s speech was full of derogatory, abusive and unparliamentary language against the NC leadership. The language used by him only reflects who he is!
“Since Ruhullah has chosen to use the issue of special status and reservation to resign from the NC, it’s important to keep the record straight. He only remembered to resign when he was told to by the party president.
“The same way, he remembered 2010 only today when it suited him. He happily remained in office as a minister in 2010 until he was removed in a general reshuffle. He was happy to fight the elections in 2014 on a JKNC ticket and didn’t remember 2010 then. In fact, he conveniently forgot all about it until 2026, 16 years later,” the NC said.
The party also challenged Ruhullah to spell out what concrete initiatives he had taken in Parliament for the restoration of special status and statehood, asking whether he ever attempted to mobilise MPs across party lines, move a resolution or introduce a Bill on the issue.
“Ruhullah was sent to Parliament to speak about the dispossession and how people’s will represented by the elected government had been undermined and belittled by the Central government and its appointed lieutenant governor in an attempt to delegitimise votes and the elected government.
“Did he speak even once on the current UT arrangement, under which departments which are technically under it are not allowed to function and the L-G continues to run them through remote control?” the statement said.
It said while the NC government knows its limitations given the present scheme of things, it has carefully chosen its roadmap on issues that are directly linked to “our existence and identity”.
“Our thrust on restoration of statehood is not and will never be at the expense of special status. If it was so, the first transition of business of this government would not have been the special status. And the chief minister would not have reiterated it on August 15.
“Protection and preservation of our identity and constitutional rights form the foundation of NC’s political ideology. Abandoning it means abandoning the party and the politics it has stood for the last more than 90 years,” the NC said.
It added that reclaiming and repossessing what was taken away from the people of J&K needed deft politics, not theatrics.
“Theatrics will not take us anywhere. It may temporarily grab some attention and social media likes, but it will not achieve anything for people in the long run.”
On reservation, the NC questioned Ruhullah’s silence towards the L-G and the Centre, particularly over the alleged injustice to open-merit candidates.
It maintained that the party had fulfilled its electoral commitment by constituting a Cabinet sub-committee and initiating changes in the reservation framework, but alleged that the file had subsequently been stalled by the authorities.
The party also accused Ruhullah of failing to adequately highlight the alleged undermining of the elected government by the L-G and the Centre, questioning whether he had raised the issue of departments under the elected government’s jurisdiction being run through what it described as remote control.
The NC accused Ruhullah of working against the party’s interests during the Budgam Assembly by-election, alleging that he contributed to its defeat while continuing to enjoy the party’s political platform.
It questioned where his conscience was at the time.
The NC also asked how Ruhullah, who began his political career with the party, served three terms as MLA, became a minister and was elected to Parliament on its ticket, could now disown the very organisation that provided him his political platform. PTI SKL ARI
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