NC leader accused Omar of going soft on statehood, cozying up to BJP

Srinagar, Oct 26 (PTI) National Conference Lok Sabha MP Aga Ruhullah on Sunday accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of warming up to the BJP-led Centre and forgetting the goal of getting the Union Territory statehood – a key promise in the party's election manifesto.

The Srinagar MP alleged that the fight before the elections was for the restoration of the people's rights and statehood, but that fight was now forgotten.

"If normalising relations with the establishment in Delhi was the purpose, they should have said it to the people during elections," the lawmaker said at a conclave organised by a portal here.

Ruhullah said that it could be argued that the goal of statehood was deferred for the sake of routine governance, but that did not seem to be the case either.

"I will not say that under routine governance everything could have been done in one year, but what could have been, has not happened. Now is the time for the party to introspect," he said.

The leader also criticised the chief minister, without naming him, on the students' demand to revisit the reservation in the Union Territory.

"I was surprised when it was said (by Omar Abdullah) that he will not come under pressure. It was shocking for me. After 2019, there was hopelessness and subjugation … they were not allowed to raise their voice, but they had a hope that through the vote they would elect a government which would listen to them … But the same ruler says he will not come under the pressure of the people," he said.

Ruhullah accused Abdullah of treating the students' demand with "arrogance" and asked him to use the same tone with the BJP.

He said he could not campaign for the NC candidate in the Budgam bypoll because he could not justify his party's "volte face" after coming to power, especially on the issue of smart electricity metres.

Responding to criticism that he was elected to the Lok Sabha only because he fought on the NC, Ruhullah said if that were the case, the party should have won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat as well.

"Three (NC) candidates contested the Parliamentary election. I, Mian Altaf sahab, and the third candidate. If someone only gets elected on the party name, then the first result should have come from Baramulla, and the highest result should have come from there," he said.

Omar Abdullah lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Baramulla seat to Independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh by more than 200,000 votes.

Another party MP, Mian Altaf Ahmad, concurred with his colleague and said the government could have done much more with the powers that rest with the chief minister.

"There is no doubt that the people in the government have to improve their performance... So, Omar sahab needs to see to these things. The responsibility lies with him. He has to see how much improvement he has made within the powers he has," Altaf said.

The soft-spoken tribal leader hailing from Kangan in Ganderbal district, however, said holding the chief minister responsible for something he does not have control over was wrong.

"Holding him responsible for something he cannot do is wrong. But something which he can do, but he doesn't do it, that should not happen," he added.

On a remark Abdullah recently made on the installation of smart electricity metres in JK, Altaf said he has faced enough heat on the matter.

"It would be better for Omar, now that he is in the CM's chair, to weigh his words before speaking. This is my advice to him as a well-wisher," he said. PTI MIJ VN VN