by Syed Shadab Ali Gillani
SRINAGAR: A fresh exchange between Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has highlighted growing differences within the party over the strategy to restore Jammu & Kashmir’s political status. The public back-and-forth began after Omar Abdullah suggested that Mehdi, along with other parliamentarians, should lead a protest for the restoration of statehood during the upcoming parliamentary session.
Speaking to the media for the first time since assuming office as Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah praised Mehdi’s parliamentary performance and urged him to collaborate with MPs from other parties to address the issue of statehood comprehensively. “We believe that MP Ruhullah has performed commendably,” Omar said, in one of the series of questions he faced about Agha Ruhullah. “Now, in the new Parliament session, I expect our MP to lead the charge, alongside MPs from other parties, to comprehensively address the issue.”
After 2019, my political stance has been crystal clear. At one of my earliest public gatherings in Budgam and then at other gatherings throughout Kashmir and also in my interviews post-abrogation, I told my people that our fight must be for the restoration of 370 and the dignity…
— Ruhullah Mehdi (@RuhullahMehdi) January 2, 2025
In response, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi took to Twitter, reaffirming his commitment to the restoration of Article 370 and rejecting what he called the “hollow promise” of mere statehood. He declared his readiness to participate in a statehood protest if organised but emphasised that his fight prioritises the restoration of Jammu & Kashmir’s special status and the dignity it symbolises.
“Since 2019, my political stance has been crystal clear,” Mehdi wrote. “The abrogation of Article 370 was a calculated act of humiliation, a deep wound inflicted to undermine our sacrifices and subjugate our future. I cannot sidestep the fight for our special status and settle for statehood alone.” He added that January, coinciding with the adoption of India’s Constitution, would be an ideal time to organise such a protest, and he pledged to garner support from at least 100 MPs.
Mehdi’s remarks also carried an impassioned critique of the 2019 abrogation, describing it as a deliberate betrayal meant to break the spirit of Jammu & Kashmir’s people. “Our voices must first rise for our honour, identity, and the autonomy we have long been denied,” he wrote.
This is not the first time the two leaders have clashed publicly. In the past, they sparred on Twitter over the reservation policy, invoking figures like Rudyard Kipling and Malcolm X to underline their opposing viewpoints.
The latest exchange underscores the widening rift between the Gupkar leadership and Mehdi’s faction in Budgam, suggesting growing tensions within the National Conference on the way forward for Jammu & Kashmir.
In the Thursday presser, several questions revolved directly and indirectly around Agha Ruhullah and the issues within the party. He said he talks to Agha as and when required but is not habitual of good-mornings and good nights daily. He did get angry over a scribe suggesting that Agha’s Gupkar protest led to Omar’s Thursday presser.
