DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
Srinagar, Dec 24
In a sign of unease in the National Conference after its MP Aga Ruhullah joined a protest against the reservation policy, NC legislator Salman Sagar on Tuesday said he has hurt the party’s interests by providing a platform to its “enemies”.
“What he (Aga Ruhullah) did was wrong. In my opinion, it should not have happened. He provided a platform to the enemies of National Conference by these protests,” Sagar told reporters.
He was referring to Ruhullah taking part in student protests against the existing reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday outside the residence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. PDP leaders Waheed Para and Iltija Mufti were among scores of people from political parties who joined the protesters to show their support.
Separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is under house arrest, also voiced his support for the demand for “rationalisation” of quota for reserved categories.
After meeting the protesting students, Chief Minister Abdullah had said on X that the channel of communication will remain open “without any intermediaries or hangers-on”.
Sagar said Ruhullah’s presence at the protests has done “more harm than benefit” to the cause of the open merit students.
“This is not democracy. Every party has discipline, he (Ruhullah) should have raised his concerns internally. You cannot disrespect the chief minister and your party through such theatrics,” the MLA from Hazratbal said.
Sagar, however, said he was supportive of the cause of the general category students demanding rationalisation of quotas.
The NC leader dismissed suggestions that Monday’s protests was an intra-party confrontation.
“Did you see any other NC leader there? He (Ruhullah) was there in his capacity as an MP. You would not find any born-NC leader in such gatherings,” he said.
After meeting Abdullah on Monday, student leaders said that he had assured them that the cabinet sub-committee formed to review the reservation policy will submit its report within six months
The students are protesting against the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir implemented after the abrogation of Article 370.
Meanwhile, Peoples’ Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday asked the chief minster to find a way to resolve the issue of reservation .
Speaking to reporters, Mufti said the people of J-K, especially the youth, voted for the National Conference in large numbers in the assembly polls so that there would be rationalisation in the reservation and nobody’s rights would be snatched.
“We do not want any politics in it but we are pushing open merit students to the wall. The chief minister has sought six months’ time. They (NC) have three MPs, including the Ladakh MP and 50 MLAs, why do they need six months? They think a court decision will come by and they will not have to do anything,” Mufti said.
