Srinagar, Nov 4: National Conference MLA Salman Sagar on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on party MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, questioning his decision to distance himself from the party and accusing the BJP of succeeding in its efforts to weaken the National Conference.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Sagar said Ruhullah should have used the strength of the party’s electoral mandate to fight political battles from within rather than distancing himself from the organisation.
“With great sadness, I must say that the BJP has succeeded in getting you out of the National Conference. If they have succeeded in pushing Omar Abdullah out, that would be another matter. But if Aga Ruhullah has joined a force that has repeatedly attempted to weaken Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership over the past 80 to 90 years, then the BJP has succeeded,” Sagar said.
Questioning Ruhullah’s decision, Sagar said the mandate of 50 MLAs represented a much stronger political force than that of an individual MP or former MP.
“People keep talking about the mandate. The National Conference has a mandate of 50 MLAs. That mandate should have been used to fight these battles. We should have fought together. Is one MP or former MP a stronger force, or is the strength of 50 MLAs greater? Is an elected government not a stronger force? Whatever difficulties there were, they should have been confronted from within,” he said.
Sagar also questioned whether Ruhullah had made any serious effort to persuade party legislators to remain united or raised his grievances directly with the leadership.
“How many times did you ask the honourable MLAs not to leave and to stand with you? Did you ever approach the leadership? How many times did you speak against the leadership? Was any show-cause notice issued to you? Was any explanation sought from you? Our only concern was that you should not leave the party,” he said.
He argued that political differences and difficulties should have been addressed through dialogue and internal resistance rather than by walking away from the organisation.
Sagar also referred to Omar Abdullah’s support for Ruhullah, saying he had been given a safe constituency to contest from, and questioned his subsequent political distance from the party.
Referring to developments since 2018, Sagar said several political leaders had faced restrictions and detention while attempting to represent the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also cited former NC leaders Devender Singh Rana and Surjit Singh Slathia joining the BJP, alleging that the party had succeeded in drawing prominent leaders away from the National Conference.
Sagar maintained that attempts to weaken Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership had been made repeatedly over the past several decades, adding that the party needed to remain united to confront such challenges.
Meanwhile, National Conference MLA Sajjad Shaheen accused MP Aga Ruhullah of betraying the party and his voters, questioning his political record and performance in Parliament.
Shaheen said Ruhullah had failed to fulfil his responsibilities as an MLA, minister and now as a Member of Parliament, alleging that his performance in Parliament had been dismal.
Referring to the Tufail Mattoo case, Shaheen questioned Ruhullah’s decision to invoke the issue after 16 years, asking why it was being raised now.
He also questioned the proliferation of political parties in Kashmir, asking why new political outfits were being floated at every nook and corner and whether there was a larger political strategy behind such developments.
