Latest news with #Ruhullah
Mint
4 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
CJI Gavai bats in favour of Article 370 abrogation, quotes Ambedkar's ‘one nation, one Constitution' stance
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Saturday said Dr BR Ambedkar envisioned one Constitution for the country to keep it united and never favoured the idea of a separate constitution for a state. CJI Gavai was speaking at the inauguration of the Constitution Preamble in Nagpur, where he said that the Supreme Court drew inspiration from Ambedkar's vision of a united India under a single Constitution while upholding the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, news agency PTI reported. Justice Gavai was part of a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, that unanimously upheld the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370. "When Article 370 was challenged, it came before us, and when the hearing was underway, I recalled Dr Babasaheb's words that one Constitution is suited for a country... If we want to keep the country united, we need only one Constitution," he said, while addressing the gathering in Marathi. On August 5, 2019, the Centre decided to strip Jammu and Kashmir of special status and divide it into two Union Territories. According to the PTI report, Justice Gavai said Dr Ambedkar had been criticised, saying the Constitution provides for too much federalism, and in times of war, the country may not remain united. However, he had responded, saying the Constitution would suit all the challenges and keep the nation united, the CJI said. "See the situation in the neighbouring countries, be it Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. Whenever our country faces challenges, it has remained united," Justice Gavai said. National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Aga Ruhullah said on Saturday that their party's struggle is not focused on restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir but rather on reclaiming the constitutional guarantees that were in place before the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. "My party can go to court, but I will only remind that our fight is not for statehood, our fight is for more than that. It is for those constitutional guarantees that were snatched from us in 2019," Ruhullah told reporters in Srinagar. In response to NC chief Farooq Abdullah's comments about moving Supreme Court if the restoration of statehood is inordinately delayed, Ruhullah emphasised, "We should not forget our fight." According to the PTI report, the Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar reiterated that the party's goal is to reverse the Centre's decisions to abrogate Article 370 and reorganise the state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. "The BJP has said in its manifesto as well as in the Parliament that statehood will be restored. The allied teams of the BJP (in J&K) also said they will fight for the statehood, but NC's fight is not for statehood," Ruhullah said.
Deccan Herald
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
NC MP Ruhullah's political rebellion: A new front or another familiar fall?
Known for his uncompromising opposition to the abrogation of Article 370, Ruhullah has not officially parted ways with the NC, but his recent rhetoric suggests a separation may not be far off. Speaking at a gathering in north Kashmir's Sopore, the firebrand Shia leader pulled no punches.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Not happy with quality of polity in J&K: National Conference MP Ruhullah
Ruling National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament (MP) Aga Syed Ruhullah on Friday (June 20, 2025) expressed his dissatisfaction over the 'quality of polity' in Jammu and Kashmir and sought people's support to bring accountability to the system. 'I am not happy or satisfied with the quality of polity in J&K. I am not referring to any particular organisation, but to the entire polity of J&K. Politics in J&K has degraded. Changing parties won't help. I appeal to society to stand for reform,' MP Ruhullah said. MP Ruhullah made these remarks in Sopore, in north Kashmir's Baramulla constituency. He also engaged with youth in a question-and-answer session on the politics and issues of Kashmir. However, his decision to address a civil society group in Sopore was not well received by the NC leadership there. None of the local NC leaders or activists participated in the public event attended by the MP. 'It doesn't matter whether they (NC leaders) attended or not. I was invited. I can't refuse an invitation based on whether they voted for us or not,' Mr. Ruhullah said. There is growing friction between MP Ruhullah and the NC's top leadership, which has been evident on several occasions since the party formed the government in J&K last year. The MP sought people's support to 'reshape polity.' He said, 'I am looking for those people who will walk with me, bringing accountability to the system, those who will stand for credibility.' The issue of rationalisation of the reservation quota saw MP Ruhullah joining protesters outside the Chief Minister's residence in Srinagar last year. He also recently admitted that the top party leadership has 'not been in touch with him.' However, MP Ruhullah continues to attend party meetings and is reportedly among the few voices critical of the government's functioning. After the Sopore function, the MP also supported the demand that the Cabinet Sub-Committee report on the rationalisation of reservation quotas in jobs should be made public. The CSC submitted its report on reservation to the Cabinet this week. 'It should be made public. There should be discussion. Even if the report has been sent to the Law Department, it should be concluded within a week's time,' he said. Mr. Ruhullah is a popular Shia cleric and garners significant support for his bold stance on issues like Article 370, greater autonomy, and security forces' crackdown on youth in Kashmir.
New Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
J&K: NC, Srinagar MP Ruhullah at odds over abrogation of Article 370
SRINAGAR: The ruling National Conference (NC) and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah are at odds, once again. Ruhullah, a critic of the NC's policies under the Omar Abdullah government especially with regards to statehood restoration and reservation in J&K, walked out of a NC working committee meeting last week. Under the chairmanship of party president Farooq Abdullah, an NC working committee meeting was held last week during which seven resolutions — including restoration of special status and immediate restoration of statehood — were passed. Ruhullah attended the CWC meeting, but left midway. Sources said that Ruhullah, who was displeased by the party's policies under the Omar Abdullah government, had stressed on restoration of Article 370 during the meeting. 'Our focus should not be restoration of statehood but restoration of Article 370,' Ruhullah is said to have told the meeting. He reportedly said that the party was defeating the reason for which it got the mandate. 'We need to be on the wrong side of the power, and on the right side of the people.'
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
National Conference a divided house: Why Omar Abdullah, Aga Ruhullah were at loggerheads at recent party meeting
A day after reports of a major disagreement in the National Conference (NC) between Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and party MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the party appeared to get into damage control mode by claiming that the meeting was held in a 'healthy and respectful' environment and that Mehdi did not walk out as claimed earlier. While the Srinagar MP has been critical of the NC's stand on various issues for a long time, according to insiders, at the working committee meeting on Saturday, he questioned the party's 'departure from its ideological stand' and 'abandoning' the core promises made to the people in the election manifesto. Sources in the NC said Ruhullah asked the party brass, including the CM, that while it attacked Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari for 'normalising' the post-2019 situation, its stand was no different as it had departed from its core promises made in the manifesto, including the restoration of special status and the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Ruhullah is said to have been annoyed by party members' praise for Omar's governance, comparing the working committee meeting with a 'public milan'. 'We are betraying the people by abandoning the core promises we made in our manifesto,' he told his party colleagues. 'Our fight is for Article 370 and not for day-to-day governance. It includes statehood but goes far beyond it.' Ruhullah said his party had also failed to take a stand in favour of releasing political prisoners, autonomy, and the Constitutional identity of Jammu and Kashmir. The Srinagar MP's stand on key issues such as special status for J&K, identity, reservation, and political prisoners made him a popular figure in the Valley. During the Assembly elections last year, he was one of the most sought-after star campaigners from the party. The sense of goodwill, however, did not last for long and late last year, the MP called for a peaceful protest outside the CM's residence, demanding 'rationalisation of the reservation policy'. Mehdi also publicly acknowledged that the channels of communication between him and Omar were not open. NC sources said on Saturday Omar, taken aback by Ruhullah's criticism, pointed out that the key issues of dignity, identity, and rights of people could only be addressed once Jammu and Kashmir got back statehood. He asked the MP to contest the next Assembly bypolls and be 'part of the government'. The CM also told the MP that the party did not question his decision to contest the parliamentary elections, though he had earlier said he would not contest polls after the abrogation of J&K's special status. This did not go down well with Ruhullah, according to those present at the meeting. 'Let's get this straight. You approached me,' the MP told Omar amid a stunned silence in the room. He then offered to resign from Parliament 'if it helps restore clarity' about the NC's 'original cause'. The MP said his interactions with people indicated that they were feeling 'disillusioned and abandoned by a party that once stood for something bigger than power'. Sources said at the meeting Omar tried to brush aside the MP's accusations and said that he meets people from across the Union Territory who tell him they 'want basic governance'. When Omar made this point, Ruhullah walked out, according to those present. However, the party's chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq denied this, saying, 'Aga Ruhullah did not stage any walkout. He was present throughout the discussions, and everything transpired in a healthy and respectful environment. He (Ruhullah) took proper permission before exiting the meeting.' An NC leader said Ruhullah's stand was 'not pragmatic' and that Omar was being realistic by 'focusing on governance'. 'This is a long fight, and we have to move step by step. We can't rush through and make everyone an enemy. We hope Ruhullah sahib realises this and moves shoulder to shoulder with other leaders,' he said.
