NC Leaders Trade Barbs As Rift Grows Over Reservations In J & K

National Conference legislator Salman Sagar, speaking at the party's headquarters in Srinagar, distanced the NC from Ruhulah's actions, emphasizing that the protest was neither organized nor supported by the party.

“It was not a protest of the National Conference. Not a single leader from NC participated,” Sagar stated, accusing Ruhullah of acting independently.

Sagar described Ruhullah's participation as a breach of party discipline and a damaging act, calling the protest“drama and theatrics” orchestrated by detractors to tarnish the party's image.

He reassured that the NC remains committed to resolving the reservation issue under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's leadership and expressed support for the affected students.

Salman said that the party only organises protests after instructions from senior leaders such as Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, or after directives from the general secretary's office.“Such protests are not organised independently by individuals. They must be authorised by the party leadership. What happened yesterday was entirely an individual action and not a National Conference event,” he said.

“It was a gathering of our adversaries, of our enemies. Unfortunately, one of our MPs was present there, giving them an opportunity to exploit the situation,” Salman said, adding that such actions inadvertently strengthen the position of political rivals like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He also took a dig at political opportunism, stating that the protest gave a platform to individuals who have no real stake in the issue.“People with no mandate, those who have been rejected by the public with barely 200 votes, were speaking on behalf of thousands or even millions. This kind of behavior undermines genuine efforts,” Salman said.

“Who are you sitting with? With our enemies, who look for opportunities to turn our good work into a disadvantage,” he said.

Salman expressed concern about the damage such actions could inflict on the party's credibility and unity.“The National Conference is a very large party, and small incidents or dirty politics won't affect us. But actions like these create unnecessary internal strife. We have faith that under Omar Abdullah's leadership, the aspirations of the open merit category will be addressed through the reservation policy,” he said.

Salman also questioned the role of those who organised and participated in the protest.“If genuine stakeholders had been engaged, it would have been meaningful. But this was clearly about internal issues and political point-scoring,” he said.

'House Negro, Field Negro'

The controversy deepened with Aga Ruhullah's post on X formerly Twitter), where he shared Malcolm X's quote contrasting the“House Negro” and the“Field Negro,” seemingly portraying himself as the latter. The post read, in part,“Back during slavery... you still have house Negroes and field Negroes. I'm a field Negro,” which many interpreted as a rebuke to his critics.

Omar Abdullah's post on X, after meeting a delegation of representatives on Monday, also hinted at his disapproval of Aga Ruhullah's involvement in the demonstration.

“Today I met the representatives of the Open Merit Students Association. The beauty of democracy is the right to be heard & dialogue in a spirit of mutual cooperation. I have made certain requests of them & given them a number of assurances,” he wrote, adding
that this
this channel of communication will remain open without any 'intermediaries' or 'hangers-on'.

The tweet, while making a commitment to resolving the students' concerns, appeared to be a subtle critique of Ruhullah's role in organizing the protest, signaling possible friction within the party.

Omar Abdullah also tweeted lines from Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If,' apparently emphasizing composure and resilience in the face of blame and criticism, signalling an apparent attempt to downplay the tensions.
However, Ruhullah's Malcolm X reference took a more confrontational tone. By aligning himself with the“field Negro,” Malcolm X's metaphor for those resisting oppression, Ruhullah drew a clear line between himself and what he implied were“house Negroes”-a term historically associated with those complicit in maintaining oppressive systems.
Political observers have noted the potency of Ruhullah's rhetoric in challenging both internal and external critics.“He is positioning himself as a voice of the oppressed, refusing to back down despite mounting pressure,” one analyst said.

While the post drew attention, its timing raised questions, with some viewing it as a bold stance against the establishment and others criticizing it as divisive rhetoric. The incident highlighted internal divisions within the NC, with Sagar openly denouncing Ruhullah and expressing disappointment over the setback to the party's image.

Political analysts say as the debate continues, the focus shifts to how the National Conference and its leadership address both the internal dissent and the broader challenges surrounding reservation reforms.

Congress leader and MLA Dooru, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, added to the criticism, terming Ruhullah's demonstration a“camera show.” Speaking at a press conference, Mir criticized Ruhullah for staging a protest instead of directly engaging with the Chief Minister.

“He could have walked into the Chief Minister's office, which was minutes away, and discussed the issue seriously. Instead, he opted for a spectacle,” Mir said, accusing the MP of seeking media attention rather than meaningful dialogue.

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