Former National Conference leader and Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Thursday alleged that his confrontation with the NC was over its surrender before the BJP, and vowed that he would not allow this to be normalised.
Ruhullah, who announced his resignation from the National Conference and from his Srinagar Lok Sabha seat at a public rally in Budgam on November 3, also dismissed BJP leader Ram Madhav's remarks that his rally was held with the blessings of BJP supporters, saying he had no association with him.
"My confrontation with the National Conference was because the National Conference surrendered before the BJP, and I will not let this surrender be normalised," Ruhullah said.
Asked about Madhav's claim, the Srinagar MP said, "I don't know Ram Madhav. May Allah protect me from dealing with such people."
He asked the NC leadership to explain Madhav's statement, suggesting they might be better placed to clarify it. "Ask them. Maybe they have called Ram Madhav themselves. They will know more because they must have spoken to him," he said.
Asserting that no intervention by BJP leaders would persuade him to accept the prevailing political status quo in Jammu and Kashmir, Ruhullah said, No matter how many Ram Madhavs come to help them or save them, no matter how many BJP leaders come to their rescue, I will not let this status quo be normalised.
He said the BJP's policies, its approach towards Jammu and Kashmir and its aggressive handling of the region would continue to face opposition. The BJP, its policies, its aggression and its degradation and handling of this state will not go unchallenged. It will be challenged, he said.
The row intensified after Madhav, during a visit to Jammu on November 3, said Ruhullah was holding the Budgam rally with the blessings of our people, while describing the NC as a visibly divided party. Madhav, however, maintained that the BJP had no involvement in the internal affairs of the ruling party.
The NC subsequently criticised Ruhullah over his resignation, accusing him of turning against the party after benefiting from its political platform.
Ruhullah, elected to the Lok Sabha from Srinagar in the 2024 general elections on an NC ticket, had been associated with the party for nearly 24 years. He had accused the NC leadership, particularly Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, of abandoning key electoral commitments, including the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
He has indicated that his future political course would focus on building a broader movement for the restoration of the rights and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.