Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 15: Breaking his silence after days of speculation, National Conference leader and Srinagar-Budgam MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi revealed that he has been sidelined within the party for supporting students protesting against Jammu and Kashmir's current reservation policies.
Ruhullah, who has openly opposed the existing reservation framework, said the party leadership cut off communication with him after he joined an anti-reservation protest outside the official residence of then-Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on December 22, 2024. The protest was also attended by leaders from the National Conference and the Awami Itihad Party (AIP).
Speaking during a live session on X Spaces, Ruhullah said that while his views were once valued within the party, everything changed after his participation in the protest. “Until the Assembly elections, my opinions mattered. Even if the party disagreed with my methods, it still respected my ideas. But after the reservation protest, the dialogue ended,” he remarked.
He noted that the shift began immediately after the Assembly elections. “From the time they persuaded me to contest the Lok Sabha elections up until just before the Assembly polls, I was consulted. But after that, I was completely sidelined,” he said. Despite being a sitting MP, Ruhullah claimed the leadership no longer seeks his input. “There’s no space left for my political thinking,” he added.
Ruhullah stressed that he avoided confron MP Ruhullah revealed that he has been sidelined within the party for supporting students protesting against J&K's current reservation policies.
Until the Assembly elections, my opinions mattered. Even if the party disagreed with my methods, it still respected my ideas.
From the time they persuaded me to contest the Lok Sabha elections up until just before the Assembly polls, I was consulted.
Despite being a sitting MP, Ruhullah claimed the leadership no longer seeks his input. There’s no space left for my political thinking.
Describing his support for the protesting students as a matter of principle, Ruhullah said, “I didn’t organize the protest. It was a spontaneous expression of anger by students who felt betrayed. I simply stood with them. If my presence helped amplify their voice, then I’ve fulfilled my duty.”
He added, “Call it a protest or something else—it doesn’t matter. If standing by the students made me an outcast in the party, I have no regrets.”
Expressing emotional turmoil over the rift with his party, Ruhullah said, “I feel a moral obligation to speak for my people—within the party or outside it. But this disconnect is deeply painful.” He emphasized that his politics is driven by conscience, not ambition. “What I say comes from within. I don’t need to prove my intentions to anyone. God is my witness,” he said.
The protest in question was sparked by a new reservation policy that, according to students, drastically reduced the open merit quota to about 30 percent, with the remaining seats allocated to various reserved categories. In response to the public outcry, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had promised that a Cabinet subcommittee would review the policy and consult stakeholders. |
