SRINAGAR — Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi on Thursday said he did not attend the ongoing two-day working committee meeting of the National Conference as he was not invited, and reiterated his differences with the party over its “lack of intent” to fulfil the promises made during 2024 assembly elections.
“I do not know which meeting is going on and what it is about. If there is a working committee meeting, then I am a permanent member of the working committee. It is for the first time since 2002 that I have not received an invitation. I came to know about the meeting through media,” Mehdi told reporters in Ganderbal.
The MP, said to be estranged from his party for some time now, said he had visited Ganderbal — part of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency which Mehdi represents — on the invitation of locals to discuss some issues which needed to be raised with the administration.
Asserting that his differences with the National Conference (NC) were over the party’s lack of intent to fulfil the promises made during 2024 assembly polls, Mehdi — an influential Shia leader — said he was neither maintaining a distance from the NC nor planning to float a new political outfit.
“My fight is for principles, not for the chair. If I have disagreements with the party, it is over principles and nothing else. The disagreement is about the failure to do what we had to in one year. My disagreement is not about launching a new party,” he said.
Mehdi said a crucial promise over which the NC sought votes in 2024 was to push for restoration of the “constitutional guarantees” under the Article 370 which was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019.
“That was the biggest reason for the mandate. We got the mandate to work on our political agenda, to look for allies across the country and create a force to seek the restoration of our protections and constitutional guarantees. Our political agenda comprised the issue of political prisoners, we got votes for that. We have to fulfil those promises,” he added.
Stressing that his party should not “dilute its cause”, Mehdi said the NC has to make efforts for implementation of its political agenda.
“We cannot dilute our fight. We cannot dilute our cause by using the BJP’s language by limiting the fight to the restoration of statehood. If we are diluting that cause, we are treading the path of the BJP. We cannot betray the people,” he said.
He said if the NC does abide by its principles, and does not implement the promises made in its election manifesto, “they will lose the trust of the people, and it will be the biggest loss”.
He asserted that the people put their trust on the mainstream in the 2024 elections, and if there is a “betrayal or failure”, that trust would be lost forever.
“This trust has come after a huge (trust) deficit and if there is a betrayal or failure from this side, this trust will be last forever. Then it will not be about a particular party, but the whole establishment and the representative system.
“I do not want this trust be broken at any cost. If the party wants to break it, if it wants to stay away from the principles, then it can take that path. I will not abandon my principles, and this trust that has been earned,” he added.
Asked about his ultimatum to the NC-led government to resolve the reservation issue before the winter session of Parliament ends, the MP said if the issue remained unaddressed, he would be compelled to stand with the students.
“The protest is not against the party. If they say it is about ego, I will step back from the issue. Let them meet the students and resolve the issue. Even if you make the students go against me, it is not a problem, but resolve the issue within a month.
“It is a matter of urgency, and if the issue remains unaddressed even after a month, I will be compelled to support the students and protest against the government till the issue is resolved,” he said. — (PTI)