NC Hits Back at Aga Ruhullah, Questions His Record on Special Status and Reservation, Party accuses MP of political inconsistency, asks him to explain his parliamentary interventions on restoration of special status, statehood and reservation issues
Srinagar: 03:11:26: ANB,The National Conference (NC) has launched a sharp counterattack against its MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, criticising his recent remarks against the party leadership and questioning his political record on issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the restoration of special status, statehood and reservation in government jobs.
In a strongly worded response, the party described Ruhullah’s speech as a reflection of what it termed his political inconsistency and self-obsession, accusing him of using derogatory and unparliamentary language against the NC leadership while invoking religious teachings and the Holy Quran's message of human dignity and mutual respect.
The party also questioned the timing of Ruhullah’s decision to distance himself from the NC, alleging that he had raised the issue of resignation only after being asked to do so by the party president.
Referring to his political position in 2010, the NC said Ruhullah had continued as a minister in the Omar Abdullah-led government until he was removed during a general reshuffle. It further pointed out that he contested the 2014 Assembly elections on the NC ticket, questioning why he had not raised similar concerns at that time.
On the issue of restoration of special status, the party recalled that Ruhullah had initially welcomed the resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on November 6, describing it as a fulfilment of a political promise.
However, the NC questioned his subsequent interventions in Parliament, asking what concrete efforts he had made to mobilise support among secular political parties and MPs for the restoration of special status and statehood.
The party also referred to Ruhullah’s reported role in collecting signatures of more than 100 MPs from different political parties for moving an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav. It questioned whether he had undertaken comparable efforts in Parliament to build support for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
The NC further asked whether the MP had attempted to introduce any resolution or bill in Parliament on the restoration of special status or statehood.
Questioning his role in representing the political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the party said Ruhullah had been elected to Parliament to highlight the erosion of the people's mandate and the alleged undermining of the elected government's authority by the Centre and the Lieutenant Governor's administration.
It also questioned whether he had adequately raised concerns over the functioning of departments formally assigned to the elected government but which, according to the party, continued to operate under the influence of the Lieutenant Governor's administration.
On the reservation issue, the NC maintained that the existing reservation framework had created serious concerns among candidates belonging to the open merit category. It said the party had made reforms in the reservation policy an important component of its election manifesto and had committed itself to addressing the issue.
The party said the NC government subsequently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee and initiated significant changes in the reservation framework in fulfilment of its electoral commitment. However, it alleged that the file had been held up by authorities beyond the elected government's control.
The NC questioned whether Ruhullah had raised the matter in Parliament or sought an explanation from the Centre over the delay in approving the Cabinet's recommendations.
It also asked whether he had organised any protest against the Lieutenant Governor's administration during the period between his election as an MP and the formation of the elected government, demanding justice for open merit candidates.
The party further questioned his interventions on alleged irregularities in recruitment processes and competitive examinations, particularly concerns that job aspirants from certain regions had been systematically disadvantaged.
Concluding its response, the NC said the elected government was conscious of the limitations imposed by the existing constitutional and administrative framework in Jammu and Kashmir. It maintained that the government had adopted a considered political roadmap on issues directly linked to the region's identity, political rights and future.
The party asserted that its approach was guided by its electoral commitments and the prevailing administrative realities, while challenging Ruhullah to explain his own parliamentary record and political interventions on the issues he has now brought to the forefront. ANB
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