National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has questioned his party’s changing position on Article 370, saying Jammu and Kashmir’s demand for restoration of constitutional guarantees cannot be replaced by the demand for statehood.
In a two-page letter to NC president Farooq Abdullah dated August 28, Ruhullah responded to Abdullah’s recent remarks questioning his opposition to the party’s position and demanding that he resign and seek a fresh mandate.
Ruhullah said his resignation would come, but stressed that “accountability” must come before his departure.
Ruhullah Questions NC’s Position on Article 370
Ruhullah referred to remarks made by the NC leadership on August 25, when people were urged to stop being “slaves” and stand on their own feet. He said the remarks reflected the frustration of many people in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, he questioned why similar concerns raised by him had been criticised.
“I refuse to believe that your statement is merely ‘hollow posturing’ for ‘public consumption’, while your politics reflects something entirely different,” Ruhullah wrote.
He also questioned the argument that people were demanding Article 370 while “begging from Delhi”. According to him, restoration of Article 370 remains a legitimate political demand.
Ruhullah pointed out that the BJP had mentioned Article 370 in its 2024 manifesto and that the Supreme Court had also discussed the constitutional history of the provision.
‘Statehood Cannot Be the Outer Limit’
The Srinagar MP warned against presenting restoration of statehood as the final political objective for Jammu and Kashmir.
He argued that doing so could lead to the changes made in August 2019 becoming accepted as the “new political normal”.
“Our job as elected representatives is to fight this constant degradation and dehumanisation — and not to adjust our aspirations to what the BJP is willing to concede,” Ruhullah said.
He said the issue was not only about political positions but also concerned constitutional safeguards relating to land, natural resources, culture, language, traditions, religion and employment.
Ruhullah also recalled that the NC-led government had previously passed the Autonomy Resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
“What has changed — the aspirations of our people, or the JKNC’s willingness to stand up for them?” he asked.
‘Accountability Must Come Before My Departure’
Ruhullah also referred to what he called a “disrespectful attack” against him and the demand for his resignation, saying the disagreement had now gone beyond differences over policy.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserved clarity on what the NC stood for regarding Article 370 and constitutional rights.
“I would have resigned even without you asking, but before that must come accountability,” he wrote.
Speaking separately to a television channel, Ruhullah confirmed that he intends to resign both from Parliament and the National Conference. He has said he plans to formally submit his resignation on November 3, the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi.
He said he needed time to complete the disbursement of MPLADS funds and organise a conference of MPs in Srinagar on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights.
Ruhullah’s decision follows Farooq Abdullah’s challenge that if the MP believed his 2024 Lok Sabha victory was based on his personal credibility rather than the NC’s support, he should resign and seek a fresh mandate from voters.
The dispute has exposed growing differences within the National Conference over whether restoration of statehood should be the party’s main political demand or whether Article 370 and broader constitutional safeguards should remain central to its position on Jammu and Kashmir.
