SRINAGAR — Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has criticised his party for allegedly abandoning the fight against the Waqf Amendment Bill and the imposition of stanzas of Vande Mataram, saying Jammu and Kashmir needs to show greater sensitivity towards the concerns of minorities.
In a post on X, Ruhullah said he had opposed the Waqf amendment but later found that his party had “abandoned the fight” and could not even muster the courage to bring a resolution against it in the J&K Legislature.
He said Punjab and some southern states had taken such a step.
Ruhullah also said he had opposed the imposition of stanzas of Vande Mataram, terming it unconstitutional, but alleged that his party had instead “fallen in line to BJP & RSS in submission.”
“At a time when minorities are being pushed to the wall, let’s not normalise the communal onslaught of the RSS and BJP,” he said, urging people to stand up for the “legitimate concerns” of minorities across India.
Ruhullah said Jammu and Kashmir, being the largest Muslim-majority region in the Union of India, should be more sensitive to religious beliefs and concerns of minorities.
“Jammu & Kashmir has a historical opportunity to stand for what is right. Let’s not squander that chance,” he said, adding that the present circumstances called for “statesmanship, sensitivity and courage — not another compromise.” — (KIMS)