Srinagar: 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.
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 questioned what Ruhullah has done in Parliament for Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. It asked whether he was not elected to Parliament to represent the sentiments of people and garner support of secular parties and MPs.
It further said Ruhullah was able to gather signatures of over 100 MPs from different parties in Parliament to move an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court judge Shekar Kumar Yadav.
“Can he tell us if he ever made such an effort to gather signatures of MPs for the restoration of special status or statehood? Did he even try to move a resolution or bill in Parliament in this regard?” it asked.
“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 delegitimize 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 LG 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 LG and the Centre, particularly over the alleged injustice to open-merit candidates.
The party maintained that the rationalisation of quotas was a key election pledge. It highlighted that the NC government had already constituted a cabinet sub-committee and initiated changes, but blamed the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and the Centre for stalling the file.
“Did Mr Mehdi raise this issue in Parliament and ask the Centre why they stalled the J&K cabinet’s decision on job reservations? Did he organise a single protest against the LG administration demanding justice for the open merit category during his six months as MP prior to the assembly elections?” the party asked.
The party also accused Ruhullah of failing to adequately highlight the alleged undermining of the elected government by the LG 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.
