Kulgam, July 11: National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday said the party “doesn’t need” him anymore, distancing himself from a party convention held to mark Begum Akbar Jahan’s death anniversary and from the National Conference’s Jantar Mantar protest on statehood.
Speaking to reporters in Kulgam, Ruhullah said he did not attend the convention as he was neither invited nor required to attend.
“How many times do I have to answer this question? They don’t need me. I was not called and I was not there. I already had programmes in Kulgam, Srinagar and other places in connection with Muharram, so I remained busy. They don’t need me anymore,” he said.
Asked whether he would join the Jantar Mantar protest, Ruhullah ruled out his participation.
“They are going to protest for statehood, a responsibility for which people have not given them a mandate. I will go among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and speak about Article 370. I will work on the people’s agenda,” he said.
He alleged that shifting the political discourse from Article 370 to statehood amounts to advancing the BJP’s narrative.
“The National Conference had campaigned against the abrogation of Article 370 during the elections. We all campaigned on that issue. Whoever walks away from that and speaks only about statehood is helping normalise the status quo and advancing the BJP’s propaganda,” he said.
