“NC Won’t Survive After Farooq Abdullah”: Aga Ruhullah’s Big Statement
Senior National Conference (NC) leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has hinted at starting a new political journey, accusing the party’s leadership of abandoning its core principles and the NC-led government of failing to fulfil its promises to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In an interview with India Today on Friday, Ruhullah said he was considering a fresh political beginning based on principles, honesty and conviction. He described his decision as a conscious step, saying he would find it difficult to continue with an organisation and government that had moved away from their stated commitments. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“I would be nervous continuing with betrayals, with confusion, with an organisation and government that has taken a U-turn,” he said.
Ruhullah alleged that both the party organisation and the government had failed to give sufficient importance to public concerns, political principles and the promises made to the people.
He called on the people of Jammu and Kashmir to collectively decide whether they wanted to continue with what he described as a politics of betrayal or challenge the existing system and bring greater accountability and integrity into public life.
The NC leader said the people needed a fresh start and that political change should begin at the grassroots level.
However, he clarified that he was not in a hurry to form a new political party or join another organisation. Instead, he wanted to bring together people who shared his principles and had the courage and commitment to work for the public.
Ruhullah said he would look for trustworthy individuals who could take responsibility for a political organisation and work towards delivering on public expectations.
He also indicated that he might contest the by-election to the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency following his resignation, suggesting that he could seek a fresh mandate from the people.
Commenting on the possibility of some disgruntled National Conference legislators joining him, Ruhullah said he was not interested in bringing along leaders who might leave the party simply because they had not received cabinet positions.
He stressed that those who genuinely believed in political principles would need to demonstrate courage and conviction, even if it meant temporarily giving up positions of power.
Taking a swipe at the party’s future, Ruhullah said the National Conference’s survival appeared closely linked to the political life of its president, Farooq Abdullah.
“The life of NC is dependent on the physical life of NC President Farooq Abdullah,” he said, adding that he did not believe the party would survive after him.
Ruhullah expressed sadness over the direction taken by the party, saying he had spent around 25 years working within the National Conference and had always believed it had the potential to serve the people.
He alleged that those who had taken control of the organisation had moved it away from its original ideology and principles.
His remarks signal a potentially significant political development in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly as he considers his next move following his resignation from the National Conference.
