Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi Resigns as Srinagar MP, Quits National Conference

Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday resigned from the Lok Sabha and quit the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), describing his decision as a victory for principled politics.

Mehdi announced his decision before a gathering of supporters at Behesht-e-Zehra Park in Srinagar, on the 26th death anniversary of his father, Aga Syed Mehdi. He later shared his resignation letter on X.

In a letter dated November 3, addressed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Mehdi tendered his resignation as a member of the Eighteenth Lok Sabha, representing the Srinagar parliamentary constituency, with immediate effect.

"In exercise of the right conferred by Article 101(3)(b) of the Constitution of India, and in terms of Rule 240 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, I hereby resign my seat as the Member of Parliament representing the Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency of Jammu and Kashmir in the Eighteenth Lok Sabha, with immediate effect," the letter stated.

‘A VICTORY FOR PRINCIPLED POLITICS’

Addressing reporters after the announcement, Mehdi said the turnout had exceeded his expectations and claimed that people had gathered voluntarily, without being mobilised or paid by political workers.

He said supporters had travelled from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including Jammu, Kashmir, Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Kupwara.

"They came because someone is pushing the chair out here for the sake of principles. If this many people can gather for principles, and they came on their own, that's a huge success for those people, for me, and for principled politics," he said.

Mehdi also spoke about the upcoming elections and the possibility of building a broader movement. He said the timeline would depend on whether people willing to take up the cause came forward, adding that he had not set any deadline.

Asked whether he would approach political parties and leaders to build the proposed movement, Mehdi said he did not intend to involve leaders who had acted against the interests of Jammu and Kashmir.

"I don't involve any political leaders who have baggage and have done wrong to Riyasat in this work. They can't help achieve this goal," he said.

He added that individuals with political experience and a clean record could join the initiative, provided they were willing to leave their existing positions and organisations behind.

Appealing to young people and older citizens to participate, Mehdi said ordinary people were equally capable of leading the effort.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE HOPES FOR RECONCILIATION

Reacting to Mehdi's resignation, JKNC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar described him as a senior leader and an important religious personality. He said the party had hoped Mehdi would reconsider his decision and that any differences could have been resolved through dialogue.

"We had hoped for him to review his decision. If there was an issue, it could have been resolved through dialogue," Dar said, adding that the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir was already challenging.

He appealed to Mehdi to reconsider his decision in view of the difficulties facing the region.

ARTICLE 370 PROMISES AT THE CENTRE OF RIFT

Mehdi's resignation marks a further escalation of his differences with the National Conference leadership over what he has described as the party's failure to act on promises made during the Assembly elections.

He had repeatedly criticised the party over its commitments to the restoration of Article 370, the release of prisoners and the protection of people's rights.

In an earlier statement, Mehdi rejected suggestions that his decision was linked to political horse-trading within the party, insisting that his opposition was rooted in unfulfilled promises rather than personal grievances over positions or offices.

He had also accused the party leadership of treating Jammu and Kashmir as a family estate and betraying the commitments on which it had sought public support.

"We demanded the restoration of Article 370, the release of prisoners and the protection of our rights. They sought power on those promises, then treated us as fools for expecting them to deliver. We refuse to lend our name to this humiliation. There is no fixing this rot from within," a statement issued by his office said.

The statement added that Mehdi had won his Lok Sabha seat on the basis of promises made to voters and would rather surrender the seat than become an accomplice to their betrayal.

With inputs from ANI