The National Conference (NC) on Friday launched a sharp attack on its own Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, accusing him of acting on behalf of the central government in New Delhi. This comes a day after Mehdi announced plans to protest outside the residence of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, criticizing the government's failure to rationalize the reservation policy.
Party's Stern Accusation and Demand
The party not only dismissed his planned protest as misguided but also demanded his resignation if he remains unwilling to fall in line with the NC's official stance. Senior party leader and Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmad Rana, led the charge, framing Mehdi's actions as orchestrated from the national capital.
Rana asserted that the Jammu and Kashmir government had already completed its part in the process. "We have done our job," he stated, explaining that the file concerning the rationalization of reservations was cleared by the state government and sent to the Lieutenant Governor's office for final approval. "It is now for the LG to act on it," Rana added, shifting the onus onto the central administration's representative.
A "Delhi Infection" and Punching Above Weight
In a strongly worded critique, Minister Rana suggested that Mehdi's time in Delhi had influenced his conduct. He implied that the MP had begun to move in influential circles, leading him to "punch above his weight." Rana claimed that "the Srinagar MP has caught the same infection" and now believes he has become bigger than he actually is.
He further cautioned that the party's long political experience in the region shows that such a "Delhi infection does not work in Jammu and Kashmir." Rana challenged Mehdi to direct his efforts towards his contacts in New Delhi instead of protesting against the elected government. "Let him get it cleared from there," he said, referring to the pending file with the Lieutenant Governor.
The Core of the Controversy
The political rift erupted after MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi publicly declared his intention to stage a protest outside Omar Abdullah's residence on Thursday. His core grievance was the perceived failure of the administration to implement a rationalized reservation policy for the Union Territory.
However, the party leadership has turned the tables, framing his protest as not just misdirected but also morally questionable. Rana emphasized that protesting against a "popular government" that had already made a decision on the matter was "not morally correct." He argued that the protest should logically be held outside the LG's office if the file is stalled there.
This public airing of internal discord highlights the simmering tensions within the National Conference regarding its strategy and relationship with the central government. The demand for resignation marks a significant escalation, putting immense pressure on the Srinagar MP to either conform or face expulsion from the party's ranks.
