Srinagar, Jul 11: National Conference (NC) MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday signalled a widening rift with his party, saying it “no longer needed” him and making it clear that he would not participate in the NC’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
As per KNS, speaking to reporters in Kulgam, Ruhullah said he did not attend the party convention held to mark the death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan because he was neither invited nor expected to be there. “I was not called, and I was not there. I had prior engagements related to Muharram in Kulgam, Srinagar and other places. They don’t need me anymore,” he said when asked about his absence from the event.
The Srinagar MP also distanced himself from the party’s planned demonstration in New Delhi, saying his political priorities differ from those being pursued by the National Conference. “They are going to protest for statehood, but that is not the mandate people gave them. I will remain among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and continue raising the issue of Article 370. My focus will remain on the people’s agenda,” he said. Ruhullah argued that shifting the political discourse from the restoration of Article 370 to the demand for statehood weakens the core issues on which the National Conference sought public support during the Assembly elections.
“We sought votes on the promise of fighting for Article 370. Anyone moving away from that and limiting the discourse to statehood is helping normalise the existing situation and strengthening the BJP’s narrative,” he said. The remarks come amid visible differences within the National Conference over its political strategy and its upcoming protest in the national capital seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
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