Ruhullah Mehdi Accuses NC of Diluting J&K Mandate, Questions Repeated Statehood Resolutions
By : Sheikh Mohammad Isa
National Conference leader and Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday accused his party of diluting the mandate it received in the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. He questioned the party’s repeated resolutions on statehood, saying voters had backed the National Conference with the expectation that it would fight for the restoration of constitutional and political guarantees that, according to him, were removed on August 5, 2019. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Ruhullah said the party had made a clear commitment before the elections to focus on restoring those guarantees. He questioned the subsequent emphasis on statehood and the changes made through successive Assembly resolutions.
“We had given an assurance, an expectation and a promise to the people that we will not fight any other battle. We will only fight for the return of our constitutional rights,” he said.
Questioning the repeated changes, Ruhullah said, “Sometimes one resolution, then a second resolution to dilute the same resolution, and then a third resolution to amend that resolution — this is a joke with the people of Kashmir.” He also questioned why the party had sought votes if it was unclear about its political objective.
His remarks come after the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution on Monday seeking the immediate restoration of full statehood. The resolution referred to earlier Assembly resolutions from 2000 and 2024, while amendments seeking references to the restoration of the erstwhile special status were also moved during the debate.
Ruhullah said the electoral mandate should not be reduced to what he described as political convenience. He maintained that the 2024 election result reflected a demand for a political fight over the changes made on August 5, 2019.
Ruhullah Raises Concerns Over Electoral Rolls
Ruhullah also criticised the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He described alleged manipulation or deletion of votes as a serious issue, arguing that the vote is the main mechanism through which citizens can seek political change.
“If your vote itself is stolen, how will you make any correction?” he asked.
The SIR exercise has become the subject of a wider political dispute, with opposition parties raising allegations about voter-list changes. The Election Commission has maintained that its decisions concerning the revision process were taken unanimously, according to sources cited by NDTV.
Calls for CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s Resignation
Ruhullah also called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the Election Commission’s credibility had been seriously affected.
He said he did not believe Kumar had justification to continue in the post and called for changes within the Election Commission to ensure that elections remain fair and free.
The demand comes amid a broader political dispute over the Election Commission and the SIR exercise. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have also called for Kumar’s resignation. At the same time, reports citing Election Commission sources have said that the poll panel’s orders on electoral-roll revision were approved unanimously.
Ruhullah’s comments add another layer to the ongoing debate within the National Conference over its political priorities, particularly the relationship between the demand for restoration of statehood and the party’s earlier commitments concerning Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional and political status.
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