Aga Ruhullah quits National Conference, resigns as Srinagar MP over party's 'betrayal' of J&K promises

National Conference Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, resigned from the party as well as Parliament. Launching a scathing attack on the party, he termed it a “stinking drain” that has reneged on all the promises, including those related to Article 370, made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mehdi announced his resignation at a gathering of his supporters in a park in his hometown of Budgam. He handed over his resignation from NC to Muhammad Ashraf Mattoo, the father of teenager Tufail Mattoo, who was allegedly killed by armed forces in 2010, when Omar Abdullah was the CM of the erstwhile state of J&K and Mehdi was a minister.

Mehdi resigned on the death anniversary of his father Aga Syed Mehdi, who was assassinated on November 3, 2000, in an IED blast. His supporters carried banners, ‘Wada Kursi Se Bada Hai’ (promise is bigger than chair).


"I represent the legacy of a martyr and a halal bloodline. I am signing the document of my freedom. Today I am no longer part of NC. I will send the resignation to NC through Muhammad Ashraf Mattoo," said Mehdi.

"Our respect and dignity was shrouded and burried on August 5, 2019 and NC instead of fighting for our dignity made a U-turn immediately after assembly elections...the party has transformed from river into a stinking drain trading our respect and dignity," said Mehdi. He kept reffering to chief minister Omar Abdullah as 'Na-Ahal' (incompetent) without naming him and threatened to expose the party claiming he had recorded all the conversations with senior NC leaders before Lok Sabha as well as the assembly elections.

Over the past two years Mehdi continuously protested against the NC goverment and kept criticizing it for its "lack of positioning and plan" for restoration of Article 370 and reservation issue. He also lashed out at the NC for pandering to the BJP led central government stating that chief minister was too busy pleasing the central goverment with shawls and bouquets.

"J&K is not the fiefdom of RSS and BJP. Let they be ready to change their habit of imposing their agenda and narratives. No power in New Delhi can decide our agenda. We will fight for our constitutional rights. Unfortunately, he (Omar Abdullah) did everything what BJP wanted him to do," said Mehdi.

On Mehdi’s resignation, NC in a statement said “it was manifestation of moral and mental bankruptcy and an example of self obsession”. NC said that Mehdi himself has done nothing for the causes he espouses and believes in empty rhetoric.

"Aga Ruhullahs decision to resign as MP is too late. He should have done a year ago when he chose to join the forces who were rattled by the mandate to NC. While sitting in NC, he became instrumental in the defeat of the party in the assembly byelections of the Budgam seat. Where was his conscience then? Backstabbing the same party he owed his political existence," read the NC statement. The NC stated that it was astonishing that someone who owes his whole political existence to the party is so brazenly showing his narcissistic conduct and finding all faults in the party after 25 years.