SRINAGAR: Responding to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks on protests reaching his office gates, MP Srinagar and senior National Conference leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi declared his readiness to join a protest for statehood but asserted that the fight must center on the restoration of Article 370 and the dignity it represents for Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the Srinagar-based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com, Ruhullah was responding to Omar’s wish for a protest akin to the one Ruhullah himself led outside the Chief Minister’s gate over the reservation issue few weeks back.
Earlier in the day, while speaking at a media interaction at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, CM Omar Abdullah said: “Democracy means everyone has the right to protest, and I respect that. But it is important to note that the protest reached my gate—something that wasn’t possible before this government. National Conference is a democratic party, and everyone has the right to express their opinion.
“As far as reservations are concerned, a subcommittee has been formed, and the High Court is hearing the case. But I want to emphasize the larger issue, which is the protection of our lands and jobs for the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Now that the Parliament session is about to begin, I hope Ruhullah Sahib and other leaders will lead a similar protest in Delhi, alongside MPs, for the restoration of statehood,” he added.
Hours after this statement, Ruhullah took to X (formerly Twitter) to articulate his position. In a strongly worded post, Ruhullah explained that his fight is for the restoration of Article 370, rejecting the notion of prioritizing statehood.
In his post, Ruhullah wrote:
“After 2019, my political stance has been crystal clear. At one of my earliest public gatherings in Budgam and then at other gatherings throughout Kashmir, and also in my interviews post-abrogation, I told my people that our fight must be for the restoration of 370 and the dignity it embodies for the people of Jammu & Kashmir.”
“I’ve been informed about an urge and desire to protest for statehood in Delhi. I AM READY to participate in such a protest and invite those prioritizing statehood to organize it. I will also try to organize support from at least more than 100 Hon’ble MPs. I believe for them there is no better time than January to organize it, when India’s Constitution—the very document that enshrined our special status—was adopted.”
“At the same time, I ought to remind that the abrogation of Article 370 was a calculated act of humiliation, and a deep wound deliberately inflicted upon us. The subsequent demotion to a Union Territory was a further attempt to impress upon us the indignity of the abrogation.”
“The abrogation was a political statement, a declaration that our sacrifices mean nothing, and that our future is theirs to dictate. Given this betrayal, this calculated attempt to break our spirit and subjugate our will, I cannot, in good conscience, sidestep from the fight for our special status and settle for the hollow promise of mere statehood. Shouldn’t our voices first rise for our honor, our identity, and the autonomy we have long been denied?”
“I think they should, and I will keep raising mine, louder each time.
The Tree Remembers.” (KDC)
