“Says NC leaders persuaded him to contest polls but failed to honour their promises”
“Omar Abdullah will struggle to manage the National Conference after Farooq Abdullah”
Tauseef Ahmad
Srinagar, Oct 31: National Conference Member of Parliament Agha Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday said he may reconsider his decision to resign from Parliament if the party leadership acknowledges its mistakes, apologises to the people and takes action against those responsible for what he described as a betrayal of the party’s electoral promises.
In an interview, Ruhullah said the National Conference leadership had deviated from its promises and principles soon after coming to power, accusing the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of compromising on key issues, including Article 370, the restoration of statehood, the release of prisoners and reservation rationalisation.
Ruhullah said the party had sought votes from people on the basis of its commitments but failed to act on them after forming the government.
“The National Conference and this government took a U-turn on their promises and principles from day one,” he said.
He also criticised the government’s handling of issues relating to electricity, employment and reservation, saying that several commitments made during the election campaign had not been fulfilled.
Referring to the recent meeting of National Conference MLAs following the cabinet reshuffle, Ruhullah said the legislators were now raising concerns similar to those he had been expressing for the past two years.
However, he questioned their motives, alleging that their protests were driven by disappointment over not securing ministerial positions rather than concern for public issues.
He said that when he had earlier raised questions about the government’s approach to Article 370, prisoners and reservation, several party leaders had criticised him and accused him of working against the organisation.
“These MLAs used to humiliate me. They used to call me the agent of Delhi,” Ruhullah said, adding that the same leaders were now publicly criticising the party leadership.
He maintained that his objections had been motivated by the promises made to the people and the interests of the youth, rather than personal or political considerations.
On whether he would reconsider his resignation, Ruhullah said the party leadership would have to publicly acknowledge its mistakes and take corrective action.
“Come in front of people and apologise. And those who have made this mistake in the past two years, punish them,” he said, adding that those responsible should also be kept away from decision-making responsibilities.
He said he might consider changing his decision if the public accepted the apology and the party demonstrated a genuine willingness to correct its course.
However, Ruhullah said he had not received any communication from the National Conference leadership since announcing his decision and did not expect any meaningful outreach.
Asked about his political future, Ruhullah ruled out making a decision simply to form or join another political party. He said the need of the hour was to bring people with integrity, conscience and commitment to principles into politics.
“There will be no solution by changing one community and forming another community until you bring character to politics,” he said.
He said he was interested in working with people from different backgrounds, including journalists, doctors, students, workers, traders and artists, who were willing to pursue politics based on principles.
Ruhullah also said that any political figure wishing to join his effort would have to demonstrate commitment through action rather than use his political stand for personal gain.
He further alleged that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had mishandled the public mandate received by the National Conference in the 2024 Assembly elections and questioned his ability to manage the party in the long run.
“After Farooq Abdullah, Omar cannot survive this party. He cannot handle it,” Ruhullah said, referring to the role of senior party leader Farooq Abdullah in managing the organisation.
On the possibility of contesting future elections, Ruhullah said he was not interested in proving his political standing to anyone. However, he did not rule out contesting a by-election independently if people felt he should take on that responsibility.
He also said any future discussions with political leaders outside Jammu and Kashmir would focus on the region’s rights and political status, and should take place from a position of strength rather than surrender.
