NC Needs To Honour People's Mandate: Ruhullah

Srinagar- National Conference (NC) MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Thursday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir are“disappointed” as their expectations of empowerment and accountability after the party's sweeping Assembly mandate remain unmet.

“The empowerment and accountability for which the people had voted - there are several disappointments that we are not going in that direction,” the Srinagar MP told reporters during an interaction with civil society members at Anantnag's Town Hall.

Calling for elected representatives to remain true to their mandate, Mehdi said,“Leaders should struggle for the issues on which they got the mandate. If they do not work for those or settle for anything less, it is a betrayal of the people.”

The outspoken parliamentarian, who has repeatedly taken independent positions within the NC, has often clashed with the party leadership over issues such as the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 and the existing reservation policy in the Union Territory.

Clarifying that his Anantnag visit was not a party event, the influential Shia leader said,“I have no concern with any party here. I am neither in favour of any party nor against any party. This interaction was organised by the civil society, and anyone - whether from NC, PDP, Congress, or none - was free to attend or skip it.”

Mehdi also dismissed rumours that he had been detained en route to the event, alleging that the administration attempted to foil the programme by sealing the venue.“These do not bother me. These are tricks of the administration, but the programme went ahead,” he said.

When asked about the Public Safety Act (PSA) - which the NC had promised to revoke after the restoration of statehood - Mehdi said the law was originally introduced to curb timber smuggling but has since been“misused.”

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