SRINAGAR — Srinagar Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has said he will consult people who share his political principles after November 3 to determine how to continue the struggle for Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights, leaving open the possibility of an alternative political platform.
In an exclusive interview with the news agency KNS, Ruhullah said discussions about his future political course were continuing but did not confirm whether he would form a new party, join an existing organisation or pursue another arrangement.
“After that, we will see. We will go to the people as we did before,” he said, referring to his planned decision on November 3.
Ruhullah said he wanted to work with people committed to the same political objectives rather than those seeking positions in government. He said they need not be elected representatives or established political figures, pointing to people working in fields, studying in educational institutions, practising medicine, running businesses or serving jail terms as potential participants in a principle-based political struggle.
The Srinagar MP said his central political objective remained challenging the decisions taken on Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. He said he had remained with the National Conference because he expected the party to use its electoral mandate to pursue that objective through the elected Assembly.
However, Ruhullah alleged that the party’s approach to restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights had changed after it came to power, with greater emphasis being placed on the restoration of statehood.
Referring to the Assembly resolution on special status and the subsequent emphasis on statehood, he questioned whether the National Conference was strengthening its original demand or weakening it.
“If they believe in the earlier resolution, why do they want to dilute the same resolution by bringing a second resolution?” he asked.
Ruhullah said the National Conference had sought votes during the Assembly elections on the promise of challenging the decisions of 2019. He accused the party of following an approach that it had warned voters against during the campaign.
He also questioned the public impact of the Assembly resolution, arguing that passing a resolution was different from pursuing the political objective for which people had voted. He claimed that even grassroots National Conference workers lacked clarity about the government’s position.
According to Ruhullah, political discussions within the party had increasingly focused on constituency development funds, contracts, transfers, government positions and personal benefits rather than constitutional rights and the party’s stated principles.
Rules out attempt to destabilise government
Ruhullah rejected speculation that 28 National Conference MLAs were in contact with him amid uncertainty over cabinet expansion, denying that he was trying to split the party or bring down the Omar Abdullah-led government.
“I do not want to bring down this government, nor do I want to break it,” he said.
He said he was not approaching legislators to exploit dissatisfaction over ministerial positions and had no interest in bringing together MLAs who were unhappy because they had not been made ministers.
“I do not want such cheap politics,” he said, asking that his name not be associated with attempts to destabilise the government.
He maintained that elected representatives should stand by their promises to the public and question compromises on political principles rather than calculate personal political gains.
Ruhullah also questioned the delay in expanding the Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers, saying the government had completed two years in office without distributing additional ministerial responsibilities.
He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah continued to hold several portfolios and suggested that concerns about legislators who might be left out of the cabinet could be contributing to the delay. He urged the chief minister to proceed with the expansion, saying his own political plans had nothing to do with legislators seeking ministerial positions.
Explains November 3 decision
Ruhullah said November 3, the date he had chosen for his political decision, coincided with the martyrdom anniversary of his father.
He said his father’s death had changed the direction of his life and placed responsibilities on him that continued to influence his political decisions. He described the date as an appropriate moment for a turning point after more than two decades.
He also cited parliamentary responsibilities, particularly work related to the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), as a reason for taking time before deciding his next step. He said he wanted to ensure that development funds and other parliamentary responsibilities were addressed before proceeding.
Asked whether a new political formation could encounter difficulties similar to those faced by the party established by former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad after leaving the Congress, Ruhullah said his political objectives were different.
He accused Azad of accepting the decisions of August 2019 rather than challenging them, arguing that his own political course would remain focused on opposing those decisions.
Ruhullah said he wanted to move away from the pursuit of political office and work towards challenging the constitutional changes without the constraints he associated with the National Conference’s current approach.
He reiterated that his next move would depend on finding people prepared to work towards the same objectives. He did not name any political party with which he was holding discussions or announce the formation of a new organisation.
The National Conference leadership’s response to Ruhullah’s remarks was not immediately available.
Follow Us
The Kashmir Pulse is now on Google News. Subscribe our Telegram channel and Follow our WhatsApp channel for timely news updates!
