SRINAGAR: National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has increasingly emerged as a rebel voice within his party, often challenging the government led by his own colleagues. His public interventions over the past year reflect both discontent with the NC’s current political course and frustration over what he sees as compromises on core issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
Observers note that Ruhullah’s sharp criticism of party decisions and government actions has unsettled NC leadership and widened internal divisions.
Four key episodes stand out in which the Srinagar MP openly confronted his party and its administration.
The data available with the news agency Kashmir News Trust reveals that the first such instance came on December 25, 2024, when Ruhullah led a student protest in Srinagar demanding rationalisation of Jammu and Kashmir’s reservation policy. Joined by students from the general category, he called for reducing reserved seats from nearly 60 percent to 25 percent. The demonstration, staged outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence, was an unusual step for a sitting NC MP, drawing criticism from the party’s youth wing and senior leaders. They accused him of undermining party discipline, while Ruhullah insisted that the concerns of students could not be ignored.
In May 2025, a fresh confrontation occurred during the first NC working committee meeting after the Assembly elections. Ruhullah reportedly clashed with Omar Abdullah and other senior leaders over what he described as the party’s ideological drift and its failure to deliver on manifesto promises, particularly regarding Article 370. He openly questioned the functioning of the government under Omar and accused the leadership of losing direction. The exchanges grew heated, and Ruhullah eventually walked out of the meeting in protest, underlining the depth of his discontent.
His criticism became even sharper in September 2025 when he accused the NC of abandoning its fight for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional position. In a series of remarks that rattled his colleagues, Ruhullah said the party had reduced itself to “begging for statehood” rather than pursuing a stronger political agenda. He argued that successive administrations, including his own party’s, had failed to empower the people of Jammu and Kashmir and ignored their long-standing political aspirations. These statements drew a mix of support and condemnation, with many viewing them as the strongest challenge yet to the party’s official line.
Earlier in April 2025, Ruhullah had also found himself in conflict with both the government and his party after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed charges against him. He rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated and part of an attempt to silence his dissent. Ruhullah argued that no formal notice or opportunity to respond had been given before the case was filed. Alongside defending himself, he criticized the government’s increasing oversight of religious institutions and warned that such control undermined community trust. He further indicated that the NC would approach the Supreme Court over the Waqf Bill, a position that put him at odds with sections of the administration.
Political analysts in Srinagar say these episodes reflect a pattern in which Ruhullah positions himself as both an insider and an outsider within the NC. While continuing to serve as the party’s Srinagar MP, he has consistently questioned the leadership and government policies, forcing the party to address uncomfortable issues.
A senior Journalist told KNT, “Ruhullah represents a voice of dissent within the NC. His willingness to challenge his own party in public forums distinguishes him from many other leaders, but it also creates strains in party unity. The bigger question is whether his criticisms are a push for reform within the NC or a prelude to deeper rifts in the future.”
Locals who follow his interventions see him as one of the few mainstream leaders prepared to raise difficult questions even at the cost of internal friction. “He has spoken against reservation policies, against the party’s silence on Article 370, and against government control of religious institutions. Whether one agrees with him or not, he is not silent,” said a teacher from Budgam.
As the NC grapples with ongoing political challenges in Jammu and Kashmir, Ruhullah’s dissent has highlighted tensions over strategy, ideology, and accountability. With Education Minister Sakina Itoo recently questioning his silence on certain matters, the spotlight is once again on Ruhullah’s role, not as a quiet parliamentarian, but as a critic of both his party and the government it leads. [KNT]
