Says MP Ruhullah Should Resign If He Disagrees With Party Line
TAUSEEF AHMAD
SRINAGAR, Dec 27: A sharp political war of words erupted within the ruling National Conference (NC) on Friday after senior party leader and Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest and Tribal Affairs, Javad Rana, strongly criticised Srinagar Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi over his threat to stage a protest against the Omar Abdullah-led government on the issue of reservation rationalisation.
Rana’s reaction came a day after Ruhullah announced that he would sit on a protest with students outside the official residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, alleging an undue delay in addressing long-pending concerns related to the rationalisation of Jammu and Kashmir’s reservation policy.
Ruhullah had accused the government of failing to take concrete steps despite repeated assurances.
Times of India,quoted Rana and wrote he categorically rejected Ruhullah’s allegations and asserted that the elected government had already completed its part of the process. He said the proposal for rationalisation of reservations had been cleared by the Jammu and Kashmir government and formally forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) for approval, where it continues to remain pending.
“Instead of targeting the elected government, he should question his friends in New Delhi as to why the file is still lying with the LG’s office,” Rana said, making it clear that the delay was not at the level of the Council of Ministers. He termed the proposed protest against the state government as “not morally correct,” arguing that demonstrating against a government that has already taken a decision on the issue amounts to misleading the public and students.
The minister’s remarks were in direct response to Ruhullah’s post on social media platform X, in which the Srinagar MP reiterated his support for agitating students and warned of intensifying protests if no announcement was made by Saturday.
“I have neither forgotten nor left the students alone. I urge the government once again to talk to the students and surprise them with the measures and decisions taken to resolve this issue,” Ruhullah had written. He further stated that if no steps were taken, he would join students on Sunday at the same protest site where demonstrations were held last year on December 23.
Escalating his criticism, Rana questioned Ruhullah’s loyalty to the party’s collective decisions and issued a blunt ultimatum. “If he does not agree with the party line and its decisions, then he should resign,” the minister said, underlining that public dissent from within the ruling party weakens governance and sends confusing signals to the people.
Taking a personal swipe at the Srinagar MP, Rana remarked that prolonged stays in the national capital often distort political perceptions. “Many people who spend a lot of time in Delhi start believing they are more influential than they actually are. They begin punching above their weight,” he said. “This so-called ‘Delhi infection’ does not work in Jammu and Kashmir.”
The episode has once again exposed internal differences within the National Conference at a time when the party is navigating sensitive policy issues and facing heightened public expectations. The controversy also brings the spotlight back on the pending reservation rationalisation file, which continues to be a major point of concern for students and aspirants across Jammu and Kashmir.
