As the party's Member Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has intensified criticism of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, president of the ruling National Conference Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday snubbed Lok Sabha member for his repeated outbursts.
Rebuking Aga Ruhullah Mehdi for undermining the authority of the Chief Minister, the National Conference president said that Omar Abdullah is the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir because of the people's choice.
"No one can dictate terms to Omar Abdullah," he said, adding, "Omar Abdullah only follows the dictates of the people of Jammu and Kashmir."
"Omar Abdullah does not act on anyone's instructions but makes his own decisions. Those under this misunderstanding should come out of it," he said.
For the first time, breaking his silence on Aga Ruhullah's recent statements, Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday advised Mehdi to pursue his confrontation with Delhi independently.
"He is free to fight with the Central Government," Farooq Abdullah said in response to Aga Ruhullah's recent statements. He added, "Mehdi has his own language, his own stand, and his own thinking. Let him speak what he wants to speak. He is under some kind of misconception."
The former Chief Minister asserted that the problems facing the people of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be resolved through confrontation with the central government. He emphasized his party's commitment to working collaboratively with New Delhi to address the region's pressing challenges.
"We don't want to fight New Delhi. We want to work together to resolve the problems of Jammu and Kashmir. Those who wish to fight can do so, but we believe in constructive engagement," he said while scolding the party's Lok Sabha member.
Ruhullah fired a fresh salvo at Omar Abdullah
After staging a protest along with leaders of the opposition outside the official residence of the Chief Minister on December 23, 2024, against the existing reservation rules in J&K, National Conference's Lok Sabha member Aga Ruhullah Mehdi stepped up attack on Omar Abdullah and said that "Kashmiris are not just disappointed but are also worried about CM."
He warned that Omar Abdullah would be seen as "New Delhi's representative" unless he took a decisive lead in the struggle for the restoration of Article 370 and statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
"The people of Kashmir are not only disappointed but also worried about Chief Minister Omar Abdullah," Ruhullah said in an interview while expressing concerns about the growing disconnect between the NC leadership and its mandate.
Ruhullah further added that Omar Abdullah should not distance himself from the people of Jammu and Kashmir or from the mandate that the National Conference secured in October 2024.
BJP already asked NC to remove Ruhullah from party
While condemning the recent statement of the Srinagar Lok Sabha member in which he described the influx of tourists in Kashmir as a "cultural invasion", BJP has termed these remarks as detrimental and dangerous to tourism in the region.
BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi questioned whether the NC supports Ruhullah's 'fear politics, ' which attempts to instill fear in tourists and the common people. He asked the NC to take action against Ruhullah's statement.
"The statement, in which MP Ruhullah stated that tourism causes cultural invasion in Kashmir is dangerous for a democratic setup. It is harmful to peace and progress. Is this the new political strategy of NC, which historically runs on the politics of 'fear'? NC should tell, whether it stands in favour of this statement?", said Sethi.
"Tourism is the mainstay of the economy in Kashmir. The tourism revival in Kashmir has brought prosperity in Kashmir which has made the lives of Kashmiris easier. NC has a history of such 'loose cannons' from time to time like its leaders raising pro-Pakistan slogans in the house and now this anti-people statement", said Sethi
This statement is to terrorize tourists and the people thus proving harmful for the tourism-based economy in Kashmir.
"If the tourism industry gets hit by this statement, then NC led by Umer Abdullah, and Dr. Farooq Abdullah should be held responsible for the loss", he said.
