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| 'Rebel' Ruhullah quits Lok Sabha seat, resigns from NC | | Hints at launching own party | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 3: Nearly two years after holding a protest outside the residence of the party's own Chief Minister, the rebel National Conference leader and Srinagar-Budgam Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has finally resigned from the party's primary membership as well as from his position as a Member of Parliament.
On December 22, 2024, Ruhullah Mehdi took direct confrontation with his own party when he, along with opposition leaders, staged a protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah against the reservation policy.
The rift, which began on December 22, 2024, further widened in November 2025 when the National Conference leadership did not invite its increasingly vocal and displeased Srinagar MP to the crucial two-day Working Committee meeting. The meeting was chaired by NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and attended by Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, along with all Working Committee members and special invitees.
On November 3, 2026, Mehdi resigned from the primary membership of the National Conference after two years of war of words.
As a Member of Parliament, Aga Ruhullah submitted his resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, while, as a National Conference member, he tendered his resignation to former Chief Minister and party president Dr Farooq Abdullah.
While displaying his resignation papers before the gathering, Ruhullah described them as an "Azadinaama" (declaration of freedom) and handed them over to Mohammad Ashraf Mattoo for forwarding to the National Conference leadership. Mohammad Ashraf Mattoo is the father of Tofail Mattoo, who was killed in police firing during Omar Abdullah's previous tenure as Chief Minister.
Aga Ruhullah Mehdi launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saying that the chair he occupies has become a source of suffering for everyone. He further remarked that Omar Abdullah did not need to bow his head or humble himself before others to retain his power and position.
Ruhullah accused the National Conference leadership of betraying the public mandate and failing to fulfil the promises made during the Assembly elections. He maintained that his differences with the party leadership were not personal but stemmed from ideological principles and political commitments.
He said the party had failed to fulfil its promises to the people on crucial issues, including the restoration of Article 370, protection of constitutional rights, the reservation policy, and the release of prisoners lodged in jails. He maintained that compromising on these issues was unacceptable to him, as the NC had sought public support on the basis of these assurances.
Ruhullah clarified that his decision was neither the result of being denied a position in the party nor motivated by any personal grudge. He said the issues on which people had supported the party were far more important to him than any political position.
He emphasised that his intention was not merely to leave one political party and join another. Instead, he wanted to bring together honest, committed and politically conscious youth from Jammu and Kashmir who understood the pain of their homeland and its people and aspired to bring about positive social change.
He appealed to parents to encourage their children to come forward and work for the welfare of society. He said that children raised by their parents through honesty and hard work should now fulfil their responsibility towards society and contribute to the betterment of Jammu and Kashmir.
Ruhullah said he wanted to create a platform of young people who would work with complete honesty and dedication for public welfare and the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir. |
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