Says fight is about people’s rights, not Assembly seats
Budgam: Member of Parliament from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency and National Conference (NC) leader, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Sunday said that he is neither concerned about becoming an MLA nor interested in the Union Territory’s Assembly.
Aga was reacting to the party’s Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remark that he had committed “political suicide” in Budgam.
Speaking to reporters after returning home from a Germany tour—where he received a grand welcome—Ruhullah, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said Omar Abdullah’s “thinking has become too small.”
“I am not worried about becoming an MLA. Unfortunately, his thinking is so small that even in these circumstances he is only concerned about how and when to become an MLA. I have already said that I do not wish to go to the UT Assembly. This fight is not about power or MLA positions,” he said.
He added, “If he can think in terms of political suicide, does he also think about the fact that the political, religious and social rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being crushed? Our struggle should be for the protection of these rights, but he is still thinking only about how to become an MLA.”
Referring to the Delhi attack and Nowgam Police Station blast, Ruhullah expressed grief over the loss of lives. “We stand with the bereaved families. We understand their pain because we have witnessed such incidents ourselves,” he said.
Targeting the BJP-led central government, he remarked, “In these 11 years of BJP rule, every year somewhere in the country, a terrorist attack takes place and innocent lives are lost. Instead of questioning the government, they turn these tragedies into a war narrative against Muslims, especially Kashmiri Muslims. When will the time come to hold this government accountable? This is your failure; that such incidents keep happening repeatedly.”
He added, “These incidents cannot be hidden by waging a political war against Muslims. If anyone should have stepped down, it should have been all those political, administrative, and security officials responsible for our safety.”
Commenting on posters of him seen during PDP’s celebrations after Aga Muntazir Mehdi’s victory in the Budgam by-election, Ruhullah said people had spoken for themselves.
“People of Budgam came out and responded not only to what happened to them through our organisation, but also to what the vote yesterday stood for. No one should assume the result happened for any other reason. If people raised posters or slogans, what fault is mine? People of Kashmir — and Budgam — are thoughtful and aware. They decide with their own understanding. Their awareness should not be belittled for someone’s political interest,” he said.
On the PDP’s win in Budgam, Ruhullah said voters made their decision independently.
“I neither opposed any party nor supported any party. I only told people that I cannot campaign for my party in the given situation. The decision was in their hands,” he said.
Ruhullah added that the party still has time to reflect. “There is still time for introspection. Look back at this one-year journey, try to understand the people and return to the right path,” he said—(KNO)
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