As the date for his planned resignation as a Member of Parliament and a member of the National Conference (NC) approaches, rebel Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has intensified his attack on his own party’s government in Jammu and Kashmir, putting the party leadership on the defensive.

On Tuesday, Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi questioned the performance of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, saying people were disappointed with the lack of progress on political promises, employment, reservation and other public concerns.

Interacting with media persons in Srinagar, Ruhullah said the government must explain what it had achieved in restoring constitutional rights and addressing the issues on which people had placed their trust in the elected leadership.

“Whether it is the political agenda, governance, electricity, employment, reservation, students, interns, prisoners or protection of jobs, on which parameter can we say that the government has done something that satisfies us?” he asked.

The Srinagar MP said people had expected the elected government to take a firm stand on the restoration of Article 370 and other constitutional guarantees but were now being asked to limit their demands to statehood.

“We are told not to talk about constitutional guarantees or Article 370. We are told to follow the path given by Modi and talk about statehood. Now, even statehood is not being discussed,” he said.

Responding to a question about a statement describing the abrogation of Article 370 as a wrong decision, Ruhullah said merely acknowledging the decision as wrong was not enough.

“Everyone knows that the decision of August 5 was wrong. What are we doing to reverse that decision? What is the party doing? What is our government doing?” he asked.

He said the issue required institutional, democratic and peaceful efforts rather than repeated statements.

“We do not want commentary. What is the government doing to reverse that decision? What is the party doing? We should ask these questions,” he said.

Ruhullah also criticised the government’s handling of student protests over reservation and concerns raised by interns.

He said students had been assured that their grievances would be addressed within a month, but the deadline had passed without a satisfactory resolution.

“Students are back on the streets. Interns are back on the streets. They were told their problems would be resolved within a month, but after a month they received the same humiliation,” he alleged.

The MP said public disappointment was growing because people were dissatisfied with both the government’s political approach and its performance in governance.

Turning to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, Ruhullah accused the BJP of creating a hostile atmosphere for Kashmiris both within the Union Territory and in other parts of the country.

He alleged that Kashmiris were increasingly being treated with suspicion and subjected to harassment.

“Instead of normalising Kashmir, it has been polarised. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been made suspects in their own land. The verification regime is an example of this,” he said.

Ruhullah Announces Resignation from NC on November 3

In August this year, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi announced that he would resign from the Lok Sabha as well as from the National Conference on November 3, the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi.

Ruhullah said he had decided to resign from Parliament and relinquish his primary membership of the National Conference because of a widening rift with the party over ideological differences.

“I will formally send my resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker and NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah on November 3, the 26th death anniversary of my father, who was killed by militants in an IED blast,” Ruhullah had stated.

The MP is planning a major public rally in his stronghold of Budgam on his father’s death anniversary, where he is expected to formally release his resignation letter and explain the reasons for quitting as an MP.

The Srinagar MP has often accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of abandoning the party’s ideology and its commitment to fighting for the restoration of special status under the abrogated Article 370.