In a sharp criticism of his own party, National Conference (NC) parliamentarian Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has accused the party leadership of compromising dignity and failing to fight for Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and constitutional rights.
Addressing a public gathering in Anantnag, the Srinagar MP said the people had given the party an "overwhelming mandate" to fight with dignity but, instead, the leadership had taken a different path. He alleged that this shift had "turned people into beggars.
Mr Ruhullah said successive administrations had failed to empower the people of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving them deeply disappointed. He accused the Omar Abdullah-led government of ignoring public concerns and criticised both elected leaders and the bureaucracy for what he described as a failure to deliver.
"The people were fed up with the rule of unelected regimes that were not accountable," he told the gathering. "But even after electing a popular government last year, people's issues are not being addressed."
Without directly naming Chief Minister Abdullah, Mr Ruhullah added: "If someone sitting in the secretariat believes that people came out to vote for the party or that people are slaves of the party...no. People were fed up with an arrogant and unaccountable system, and they wanted an accountable government."
He regretted that the elected government, despite securing a decisive mandate, had "disappointed the people and failed to empower them."
Mr Ruhullah has had an increasingly strained relationship with the party leadership in recent years. The rift became more evident after the recent Vice Presidential election, when he publicly stated that there had been no communication from the NC regarding its stance.
"Hon'ble MP Aga Syed @RuhullahMehdi did not receive any communication from the party about this matter. However, it was an obvious ideological choice and decision, therefore, he cast his vote in favour of the candidate of the INDIA bloc," posted the office of the Srinagar MP.
