SRINAGAR: Amid reports of internal strain within the ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir, party MP Aga Ruhullah on Sunday openly accused the party of betraying its promise on restoration of Article 370 and said the party now dislikes him because of his firm stand on the issue.
“My party hates me now because of differences over the fight for restoration of Article 370. Our differences are because our primary and principle promise to people was about fighting for Article 370 restoration,” Ruhullah told reporters in Srinagar.
He said the party had never promised an immediate reversal of the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370, but had assured a continued political fight.
“None of us said that you vote for us and we will get Article 370 back the next day”.
The NC had contested the 2024 Assembly elections on the promise of fighting for restoration of Article 370, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Ruhullah alleged that the party had since weakened that commitment.
“In Assembly polls, we promised to the people that we will fight for restoration of constitutional safeguards under Article 370. But unfortunately, this government left that fight, and due to it, people are unhappy—and I reflect that unhappiness,” he said.
He said that after stepping back from its stand on Article 370, the government shifted its focus to restoration of statehood.
J&K people, he said, did not vote for statehood. “Had they voted for statehood, they would have voted for BJP. The electorate had clearly backed the promise of restoring constitutional guarantees”.
The NC, according to Ruhullah, after pushing Article 370 to the backburner, then said they will fight for statehood. “This was also a compromise with the mandate but this too did not continue. Now the government is about two years old and it is not fighting for statehood as well. It has left that fight also”.
He further said the government had also stopped raising the issue of business rules.
“They were till sometime back talking of business rules and seeking approval of the business rules. However, from the last few months, they are not demanding business rules as well. Some protocols were approved for some individuals from Delhi and they fell silent afterwards,” he said.
“Now they are neither fighting for business rules, nor statehood and nor Article 370. This is betrayal with public mandate,” asserted Ruhullah.
His differences with the party leadership have become more visible in recent months. Ruhullah was absent from campaigning during the Budgam Assembly bypoll last year, which NC lost for the first time.
He had also tried to mobilise protests in December last year over a controversial reservation policy, but the move was stopped by the administration.
The party has also reportedly sidelined him, and he has not been invited to key party meetings, indicating widening internal divisions within the NC.
