Srinagar: The National Conference (NC) on Tuesday slammed Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi’s public tirade, asking whether he ever attempted to gather signatures of fellow MPs or move a resolution or private member’s bill in Parliament regarding the issue, and questioned his legislative record on the restoration of Special Status,
The NC’s sharp response came after Ruhullah levelled serious allegations against NC President Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during a public rally in Budgam on Tuesday.
Terming his address a “manifestation of mental and moral bankruptcy,” the party accused the Srinagar MP of resorting to derogatory and abusive language despite invoking religious texts.
Issuing a detailed statement on X, the NC stated that Ruhullah only decided to tender his resignation after being instructed to do so by the party president.
The party further noted that while he invoked incidents from 2010 to criticise the leadership, he conveniently remained a cabinet minister until a general reshuffle that year and contested the 2014 elections on an NC ticket without raising objections.
Pointing to his tenure as a parliamentarian, the NC highlighted that while Ruhullah successfully gathered signatures from over 100 MPs across political parties to move an impeachment motion against an Allahabad High Court judge, he failed to initiate any similar collective effort or parliamentary movement for J&K’s constitutional rights or statehood.
The party questioned why he did not raise issues in Parliament regarding the central government and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) administrative setup, which the NC claims continues to control state departments via remote control.
Addressing the debate surrounding job reservations, the NC defended its administrative actions, stating that the party had pledged to address the open merit category’s grievances caused during the LG’s rule.
The party emphasised that its Cabinet Sub-Committee had already passed key reservation modifications, which are currently stalled by central authorities.
NC also asked why Ruhullah did not challenge the LG administration on recruitment irregularities or the delay in approving the cabinet’s reservation decisions.
Reaffirming its political stance, the NC asserted that its focus on restoring statehood will never come at the expense of special status, noting that its Legislative Assembly passed a resolution demanding special status on November 6, a move Ruhullah himself initially welcomed.
Calling his resignation decision delayed and opportunistic, the NC claimed that Ruhullah actively contributed to the party’s defeat in the Budgam assembly by-poll while retaining his parliamentary seat.
The party concluded that after serving three terms as an MLA, holding a ministerial portfolio, and securing a parliamentary seat through the NC over a 25-year career, his recent political stance reflects “narcissistic conduct” and political theatrics.
(IANS)
