‘Pure drama’: NC, Cong target MP Ruhullah for protest outside CM’s residence

24 December 2024

Srinagar: The incumbent Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi was targeted by the ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress parties on Tuesday for leading a protest outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence here at Gupkar, joined by the several opposition leaders and legislators.

National Conference leader and MLA Hazratbal, Salman Ali Sagar expressed strong dismay over the protest led by the party’s own Member of Parliament from Srinagar.

Speaking with reporters at NC headquarters in Srinagar, Salman said that if the MP believes that he can do it, then that’s his individual prerogative, however, this was not the National Conference’s initiative.

Salman said that the party only organises protests after instructions from senior leaders such as Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, or after directives from the general secretary’s office. “Such protests are not organised independently by individuals. They must be authorised by the party leadership. What happened yesterday was entirely an individual action and not a National Conference event,” he said.

He said the protest was a platform for the party’s adversaries. “It was a gathering of our adversaries, of our enemies. Unfortunately, one of our MPs was present there, giving them an opportunity to exploit the situation,” Salman said, adding that such actions inadvertently strengthen the position of political rivals like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Salman accused the protest organisers of failing to consider better ways to address grievances. “If grievances truly needed redressal, there were better ways to address them. What happened yesterday, in my personal opinion, was pure drama. It didn’t benefit anyone,” he said.

While reiterating his support to students’ concerns, Salman said that the National Conference stands with the students of the open merit category. “I openly declare in front of you that I stand with the students of the open merit category. Their grievances must be addressed based on their population percentage. However, we will not allow politics to be played on this issue,” he said.

He also took a dig at political opportunism, stating that the protest gave a platform to individuals who have no real stake in the issue. “People with no mandate, those who have been rejected by the public with barely 200 votes, were speaking on behalf of thousands or even millions. This kind of behavior undermines genuine efforts,” Salman said.

Salman expressed concern about the damage such actions could inflict on the party’s credibility and unity. “The National Conference is a very large party, and small incidents or dirty politics won’t affect us. But actions like these create unnecessary internal strife. We have faith that under Omar Abdullah’s leadership, the aspirations of the open merit category will be addressed through the reservation policy,” he said.

He also questioned the role of those who organised and participated in the protest. “If genuine stakeholders had been engaged, it would have been meaningful. But this was clearly about internal issues and political point-scoring,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Dooru and senior Congress leader, Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that Aga Ruhullah Mehdi could have met the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directly instead of resorting to “camera show”.

Addressing a news conference at party headquarters here in Srinagar, Mir said that the MP Ruhullah was just a five minutes away from CM Omar Abdullah and instead of opting for “camera show”, the demands could have been raised with the Chief Minister directly.

“It has become a fashion now to get the camera attraction, otherwise the responsible MP from NC, could have behaved seriously,” he said while responding to a query on Ruhullah’s protest on Reservation policy outside CM’s residence.

Pertinently, the National Conference leader and Member of Parliament from Srinagar Monday led a protest march outside the chief minister’s official residence in the Gupkar area of Srinagar over reservation policy row. The protest led by the MP is being viewed, by many, as growing discord within the National Conference, as it was seen as defying the party’s norms and discipline. —(KNO)