Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], November 6 (ANI): Amid reports of growing discontent among Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) legislators following the recent Cabinet expansion, several party MLAs on Friday arrived at the residence of party president Farooq Abdullah in Srinagar to meet him and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The meeting is scheduled following open dissent from over 20 JKNC legislators following Omar Abdullah’s Cabinet expansion last month. The political developments come amid growing differences within the party, with Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi formally announcing his resignation from the Lok Sabha and the party on Tuesday.
Mehdi announced a large gathering of supporters at Behesht-e-Zehra Park on the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi. Describing his resignation as voluntary and genuine, he requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to accept it.
In a resignation letter dated November 3, addressed to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mehdi tendered his resignation from the membership of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha, representing the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, with immediate effect.
“In exercise of the right conferred by Article 101(3)(b) of the Constitution of India, and in terms of Rule 240 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, I hereby resign my seat as the Member of Parliament representing the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency of Jammu and Kashmir in the Eighteenth Lok Sabha, with immediate effect,” the letter stated.
Mehdi also shared the resignation letter on X. Addressing reporters after the announcement, Mehdi said the turnout at the gathering had exceeded his expectations, stressing that people had assembled voluntarily and without any inducement.
“The crowd gathered here more than expected. And they didn’t come here to celebrate getting a position or a post. Nobody paid them to be here. They weren’t brought in by some party worker; they left their homes and came on their own. They spent their own money and gave their own time,” he said.
He said people from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Jammu, Kashmir, Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Kupwara, had attended the gathering.
“They came because someone is pushing the chair out here for the sake of principles. If this many people can gather for principles, and they came on their own, that’s a huge success for those people, for me, and for principled politics,” Mehdi said, adding that he had also spoken about the upcoming elections during his address.
On how long it would take to bring people together and build the proposed movement, Mehdi said the timeline would depend on people’s willingness to participate and the availability of individuals committed to the cause.
“This might take time. It could also take less time, depending on how ready people are, like the way people have shown today. So if they are ready like this, we just have to wait for the right people. Once the right people are found, transferring things to them in one form or another isn’t a big deal,” he said.
He clarified that he had not set any deadline for the initiative, maintaining that the focus should remain on its objectives rather than a fixed timeline.
“I’m not counting any time, and I haven’t set any months or years for when things should be done. If good people step forward soon, it will take less time. If it takes longer to find the right people, then it will just take that much time,” he said.
Asked whether he would approach like-minded political parties and leaders to build the proposed movement, Mehdi said he would not involve political leaders who had a record of working against the interests of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I don’t involve any political leaders who have baggage and have done wrong to Riyasat in this work. They can’t help achieve this goal,” he said.
However, he said individuals with political experience and a clean record could join the initiative if they were prepared to leave their existing positions and organisations behind and demonstrate their commitment.
“There might be some people who have experience in politics and have done the work. They should start with themselves. They should come forward with a clear conscience, leaving their positions and organisations behind. They should start on their own, and people can form an opinion about them,” he said.
Appealing to young people and elders to participate, Mehdi said ordinary citizens were equally capable of leading the proposed initiative.
“I have appealed to the youth and the elders myself, and people like you. The people gathered here are they any less capable than the people gathered there? Allah hasn’t given anyone a birth certificate saying only they can do this work. You can do this work too. There are thousands of young people like this; we just need to find them,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to Mehdi’s announcement of his resignation from the party and Parliament, JKNC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the party had hoped that the senior leader would reconsider his decision.
“We have said again and again that Aga Ruhullah is a senior leader and an important religious personality. We had hoped for him to review his decision. If there was an issue, it could have been resolved through dialogue,” Dar said.
“In J&K, we are surrounded by a lot of difficulties right now. Such things are adding to our difficulties. So, we hope that he will understand all this and, keeping all this in mind, he will review his decision,” he added.
The resignation marks a further escalation of tensions between Mehdi and the National Conference leadership over the party’s alleged failure to fulfil promises made during the Assembly elections.
Mehdi had earlier accused the party of failing to act on its commitments concerning the restoration of Article 370, the release of prisoners and the protection of people’s rights.
Rejecting speculation that his decision was linked to possible political horse-trading within the party, Mehdi had maintained that his stand was based on principles and not personal grievances.
“Please do not associate me with any potential ‘horse-trading’ that might occur within the National Conference. I neither desire nor support horse-trading. My struggle is based on principles. It stems from the fact that the promises and assurances the National Conference gave to the people during the elections have not been fulfilled or acted upon. I have not been deprived of any position; I harbour no personal grievance over failing to secure a specific post or office,” he had said. (ANI)
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