Budgam: Striking a defiant note ahead of his scheduled resignation, estranged National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has launched a scathing attack on the party leadership, accusing it of a “collective betrayal” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and abandoning the fight for the restoration of Article 370.
Confirming that he will resign both from the party and his Srinagar Lok Sabha seat on November 3, Mehdi said he remains firm in his decision and accused top party leaders, including NC president Farooq Abdullah, of prioritising “comfortable politics” over principles and electoral commitments.
Mehdi said nothing has changed since he announced his intention to quit the party and Parliament, emphasising that the chosen date holds deep personal and moral significance.
“November 3 is the death anniversary of my father, the late Aga Syed Mehdi, who was assassinated on this day. His legacy shapes my politics, efforts, and moral compass. Symbolically, that day is synonymous with directions in my life,” Mehdi said, adding that the short delay also allowed him time to disburse his MPLADS funds for public developmental works.
Refusing to accept critics’ claims that vacating the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat amounts to abandoning his constituents, Mehdi said he felt “collectively betrayed” by the NC’s shift in political stance post the 2024 elections.
“I felt betrayed, not isolated,” Mehdi said, adding “we made commitments to the people, and after winning elections, we turned away from those commitments. The consistency and conviction with which I fought were maligned by my own party, casting aspersions on my struggle.”
He claimed that the friction reached a tipping point when the top party leadership explicitly asked him to step aside.
“When the head of the party asks you to resign and ease them of any accountability, that’s when you have to take a call. He precisely said if I think Article 370 can be restored, I should go and fight for that – which means they don’t want to continue with the struggle or be held accountable to their promises,” Mehdi alleged.
Commenting on the Jammu and Kashmir government’s two-year report card under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the parliamentarian dismissed claims of political and governance achievements.
“They passed one resolution in 2024 asking for the restoration of special status and two years later passed another resolution diluting the earlier one. They dilute their own stand within two years,” Mehdi remarked. “Their chief, on record, said multiple times that his fight is only for the restoration of statehood, forgetting the constitutional protections 370 provided us.”
Mehdi added that his primary lesson from his two years as an MP with the NC was “not to trust individuals in that party on face value”.
When asked about his critics’ warning of a potential “political blunder”, Mehdi asserted he is unconcerned with electoral calculations or materialistic benefits.
Looking ahead, the outgoing MP expressed a desire to return to the grassroots and build a broader, principled political force.
“I would want to go back to the people and search for like-minded individuals who believe in principles and can fight this fight with conviction,” Mehdi said.
On the possibility of aligning with other regional parties, he noted that his sole priority remains the restoration of constitutional rights and dignity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and he would explore any route that enables that objective.
