NC MP Ruhullah hints action after Farooq Abdullah’s to quit call
The simmering war of words within the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference erupted into a high-stakes public test on Tuesday, as Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi strongly hinted he would respond to party president Dr Farooq Abdullah’s blunt demand that he resign and seek a fresh mandate from voters.
In an interview with a local news portal in Srinagar, National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah dared the Srinagar MP to resign from the Lok Sabha and seek a fresh mandate from the electorate. Speaking to reporters a day after Abdullah’s challenge, Ruhullah reacted by saying. “It is not possible that Doctor Sahib asks me for something and I don’t give it to him. It is not possible that I send him back empty-handed,” he said. “He has asked for something at this age. I respect him. I don’t want him to ask me for something, and I return it to him empty-handed… I will answer in a few days.”
Referring to his popularity, Dr Abdullah had also observed that if he (Aga Syed Ruhullah) believed his 2024 Lok Sabha victory stemmed primarily from personal support rather than the party’s organisational strength, he should put it to the test: “If you think people voted for you, resign and go back to them. We will see how many votes you get.”
Since last year, Ruhullah has repeatedly accused the party leadership of diluting its core promises, particularly restoration of Article 370, statehood and the constitutional rights of Jammu and Kashmir.
Farooq Abdullah had said Ruhullah was free to raise the issue of Article 370 in Parliament, but questioned his approach to the matter.
“If he thinks Article 370 can be restored, he should take up the issue in Parliament,” Abdullah said.
The NC president also defended the importance of party organisation and discipline, arguing that candidates contesting elections on the party ticket benefit from the support of the organisation and its workers.
Ruhullah, however, has maintained that his political position reflects the mandate given to him by the people and has repeatedly argued that the fight for Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights remains unfinished.
In contrast, Dr Farooq Abdullah claimed Ruhullah was currently on the “wrong path.” He invoked the sacrifices of generations of NC workers and advised Ruhullah to seek guidance from the ‘Quran’.
