Aga Ruhullah Mehdi

As political temperatures rise ahead of the Budgam by-polls, National Conference (NC) candidate Aga Syed Mahmood Al Mosavi has made a pointed yet confident remark about Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, saying the latter “will do what is politically and ethically right for him and the party.”Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Speaking exclusively to Greater Kashmir during the GK Dialogue, Aga Mahmood struck a candid tone, acknowledging the “crisis of trust” in Budgam and admitting that decades of neglect have left the district on the fringes of development.“Budgam has been largely neglected all these years. On the development front, the constituency lacks big time,” he said.

“People here feel politically orphaned, despite the fact that our party has held power. They have expectations, and they are questioning the system.”

The seasoned politician, who has represented Pattan (1987) and Beerwah (1996) constituencies and served as MLC till 2017, said the upcoming by-election poses a “biggest challenge” for the party to reconnect with disenchanted voters.

“It is going to be a tough battle,” he admitted. “We will reach out to people with a strong, development-driven manifesto. Budgam deserves better.”

Calling on influential party figure, Aga Ruhullah, to step forward, Mahmood said:

“Although I haven’t spoken to Ruhullah yet — he’s in Delhi, I will reach out to him. Woh party ka banda hai. He will definitely do whatever is right for us as a party.”

The remarks come amid visible strains within the NC, as Ruhullah has publicly expressed displeasure with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s “passive stand” on critical issues, particularly the reservation policy. Ruhullah recently said he would vote for the NC but not campaign unless the government makes its stance on the reservation report public.

The bypoll, scheduled for November 11, promises a multi-cornered contest with candidates from BJP, PDP, AIP, Apni Party, and several independents in the fray. However, the most closely watched battle is expected between Aga Mahmood (NC) and Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi (PDP) — both from prominent clerical families of Budgam.

Muntazir, an advocate by profession, had lost to Omar Abdullah in the 2024 assembly elections by 18,000 votes. Omar’s subsequent resignation from the Budgam seat paved the way for this bypoll, where 1.26 lakh voters are expected to decide the future of one of Kashmir’s most politically symbolic constituencies.

With family ties, political legacies, and party rifts intertwining, Budgam’s bypoll is shaping up to be more than just an electoral contest — it’s turning into a test of loyalty, leadership, and legacy within Kashmir’s oldest political party.

Aga Syed Mahmood, who was also part of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as it’s senior Vice-president, while commenting on the former Chief Minister and PDP patron, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, recalling him as “a great administrator, an astute politician, and an able governor.”

Reflecting on his time working alongside Mufti Sayeed, Mahmood said, “He knew how to govern. The moment he decided to take any decision, he would stand by it and ensure its execution. I truly enjoyed working with him.”

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Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, has strongly condemned the recently passed Waqf Bill, calling it an act of “state-sponsored dispossession” against Muslims in India.

In a statement issued on April 4, Mehdi accused the ruling RSS-BJP government of reaffirming its “anti-Muslim and anti-minority intent” by passing the Bill in what he described as “the den of the night.” He argued that a party without a single Muslim MP has “no moral or political right” to speak for Muslims.

He further criticized the proceedings in Parliament, stating that as a Kashmiri Muslim voice, he was denied the opportunity to speak.

He blamed the floor leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) for monopolizing the discussion, leaving no space for his intervention. Mehdi described this as “structural marginalization,” which, he said, had caused deep anguish among his constituents.

Expressing concerns over the impact of the legislation, Mehdi stated that taking away Waqf autonomy, abolishing “Waqf by user,” and allowing land grabbers to claim Muslim properties amounted to targeted displacement.

“My fight against this belligerent and bigoted attack on Muslims will continue to grow stronger,” he affirmed. (KNS

Senior National Conference leader and Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi strongly criticised the harassment of two Kashmiri cloth traders in Himachal Pradesh, calling the incident a reflection of the current divisive state of the nation.

Reacting to a viral video showing a woman, identifying herself as the wife of a local sarpanch, threatening the traders, Mehdi took to social media to express his outrage.

“Idea of BJP’s India explained in this 2-3 minutes video. Kashmir is not part of India. Too much for “integration of Kashmir” after the abrogation of 370. The criteria for holding Indian citizenship is chanting a slogan of a particular religion. If there is some India still left which functions on its law and principles. This lady should be booked under Section 196, 197 and 302 (sic),” the senior leader posted on X.

The woman had threatened the men, demanding they leave the state or chant “Jai Shri Ram,” while instructing others villagers – behind the camera- to boycott their business.

In the viral video, the woman can be heard saying, “We are Hindus, and we have our own Hindu community selling the same things. We should buy from them. Why would someone, especially Muslims, come from somewhere else and do business here? This is our India; you go to your Kashmir. We don’t need you here. I will request everyone not to purchase anything from you. Just leave from here.”

When one of the Muslim men responded, saying they are also Indians, the woman retorted, “If you are Indians, then chant Jai Shri Ram.” The man explained, “We are Muslims and cannot chant a Hindu slogan praising your deity. Religion is different, and nationality is different.”* The woman, however, insisted, saying, *”Either chant the slogan or leave the state.”

The traders had travelled to Himachal Pradesh to earn their livelihood, a common practice among Kashmiri shawl and dry fruit sellers working across India. This is not the first instance of harassment faced by Kashmiri traders outside the Valley, raising concerns about their safety and the rising trend of communal targeting.

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Member of Parliament from Srinagar constituency, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Wednesday said that the government led by Omar Abdullah has fulfilled its promises on moving the resolution on special status on the first day of business in the J&K Legislative Assembly.

Talking to the reporters, Ruhullah, who was present during the proceedings today in the house, said that he is thankful to Omar Abdullah and the government for the resolution on the special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “But, the fight won’t stop here as only the doors have been opened today through the assembly,” he said.

Ruhullah further added that the majority of the members were in favour of the resolution, adding that the BJP must not deliver sermons to the government on Speaker. “We have seen how the Speaker treats us in the parliament,” he said.

Furthermore, the MP said that he didn’t recognize the LG’s office as it has no meaning in the democracy—(KNO)

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