Disgruntled National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday termed his party’s proposed July 20 protest in New Delhi for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood as a “BJP project”, saying the NC had received a public mandate to fight for the restoration of Article 370, not statehood alone.
The MP also said he was not invited by the party to attend the function in Srinagar to pay homage to Akbar Jahan on her 26th death anniversary.
“They didn’t need me and neither was I invited. I was not there. I had a programme in Kulgam.
They don’t need me,” Ruhullah told reporters when asked about the party function in Srinagar.
Alleging that the proposed protest was “aligned with the BJP’s agenda”, Ruhullah said, “They are going to protest for statehood, a responsibility for which people had not given them mandate. They are going to do the work of the BJP. I will go and talk about the people of Jammu and Kashmir and speak about Article 370. They will work on the BJP project. I will work on the project of the people of the state,” he said.
Backing recent remarks made by Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, MP Ruhullah said the National Conference had won the Assembly elections on the promise of fighting for the restoration of Article 370.
“NC received the mandate for that (Article 370 restoration). During the elections, we said those talking only about statehood were helping the BJP by normalising the status quo. Whoever talks of ‘minus 370’ is working on the BJP’s propaganda project. People understood that and voted for the National Conference to fight for Article 370,” Ruhullah said.
Mirwaiz, who is among 52 political leaders invited by the NC for the July 20 statehood protest at Jantar Mantar, recently said the protest should go beyond statehood and include the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the rights of political prisoners, and peaceful conflict resolution.
“So if Mirwaiz has said this, he is right,” the MP said.
