Srinagar Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has escalated his confrontation with his own party, the National Conference, by issuing a fresh deadline to the Jammu and Kashmir government over the contentious issue of reservation rationalization.
December 20 Deadline Set for Resolution
In a significant development that deepens the internal rift within the National Conference, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has given the J&K administration until December 20 to address concerns regarding the rationalization of reservation policies. The MP representing Srinagar in Lok Sabha made this announcement on Monday through a social media post on platform X.
The parliamentarian expressed deep frustration with the government's handling of the issue, stating that the Winter Session of Parliament concluding on December 20 marks his final deadline for resolution. "If after the conclusion of this Parliament session on December 20, this issue is not resolved, I will sit with them (protesting students) again the way we did last December. And this time it will not be for a day only," Ruhullah declared in his post.
Growing Rift Within National Conference
The conflict between the MP and the J&K government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been brewing since the latter took office last year. Tensions notably escalated when Ruhullah joined student protesters outside the Chief Minister's residence in Srinagar in December last year, marking a public display of dissent within the party ranks.
Ruhullah has consistently supported the "open merit" students who are demanding population-based rationalization of reservation in Jammu and Kashmir. Student organizations have raised concerns that reservation for reserved categories in J&K exceeds 60%, significantly limiting opportunities for students from unreserved backgrounds.
The MP directly challenged the government's delayed response, highlighting broken promises: "Last year they (the government) said six months. Those six months have turned into a year. A few weeks ago, before the Budgam Assembly election, they said a few days without letting anyone know whether they had resolved the issue or not. Those few days are now turning into more than a month."
Broken Promises and Student Agony
In his emotional appeal, Ruhullah questioned whether personal egos were preventing a resolution to the crisis affecting an entire generation of students. "Is this about personal egos? Is this entire generation being punished because I have been speaking for them?" he asked, offering to withdraw from the issue temporarily if it would lead to a solution.
The parliamentarian expressed particular concern about the irreversible damage to students' careers, noting that even if the issue is eventually resolved, "what will compensate the years they have already lost and the vacancies which are already gone?"
The government had constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to examine the reservation issue, which submitted its report to the J&K Cabinet in June this year after consulting various student groups. In October, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah indicated that a memorandum regarding reservation rationalization would be sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, though concrete action remains pending.
Ruhullah's ultimatum sets the stage for a potential confrontation in December if the government fails to address what he describes as the "suffocation of an entire young generation" facing limited opportunities due to the current reservation structure.
