Srinagar: The decision of Member of Parliament, Aga Ruhullah to protest against his own party, the ruling National Conference against the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Policy has not gone well with the party with a legislator openly coming out against the move.
MLA Hazratbal, Salman Sagar, who is also the NC youth president, told ETV Bharat that Ruhullah instead of joining protest with the political opponents, should have developed consensus with the party’s 42 legislators for the protest.
“There was no need to protest with our worst political opponents. If we have to protest, there should have been consensus to take along 42 MLAs for protest. It would have made a big impact instead of protesting 4-5 individuals who lost elections,” he said.
Over the protests against the J&K Reservation Policy, Sagar, the son of NC veteran, Ali Mohammad Sagar, said, “Students should understand that the Member of Parliament has no role in resolution of the reservation issue rather it pertains to the government and legislators”.
Scores of aspirants alongside the ruling National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and political opposition joined the protest against the ‘unfair’ reservation policy.
Many in the party disclosed that his open criticism against the move has spurred murmurs in the party over the issue.
An insider said Sagar was peeved with the participation of Ruhullah since yesterday and expressed his outburst in the office as well.
“Students should know we are with them. But politics is being done with them and those shameless persons (political opponents) should not use these children for their politics,” he added.
The ruling National Conference had vowed to review the policy in their poll manifesto. The new policy allows over 60 percent quota in jobs and educational institutions to reserved groups after the Bharatiya Janata Party led government increased the quotas by 14 percent in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election 2024, depriving the opportunities for open merit population.
“Aga sahib was pricked by some people forcing him to protest against his own government harming the interests of students. Unlike the existing system, we want a balanced reservation policy for all the groups. Open or general merit aspirants should be given their due share,” he added.
Sagar, who is known for his organizational and management skills, said that politics should not be done on the issue of reservation.
“Especially, it should not be done by a person who became MP on the National Conference mandate. He should have taken this into consideration. He has contested from the prestigious Srinagar seat which has been a National Conference bastion. Our people have made sacrifices for his win. It is very strange (to see him protest against his own government),” he said.
According to him, Ruhullah has “hurt his own stature as well as that of party president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by standing in protest outside the residence of Abdullah in Srinagar”.
“Ruhullah shares cordial relationships with Abdullahs and he should have conveyed to them the concerns of students,” Sagar added.
“It is my personal opinion. There was no support from the party, especially for holding protests with our political opponents outside our home. I won’t support such a move and I will question such a decision where we have to protest outside the residence of our party president. It does not make sense,” Sagar added.
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