<p>Srinagar: Hours after Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/omar-abdullah">Omar Abdullah</a> asked his party colleague and Member Parliament, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi to lead a protest in Parliament to advocate for the restoration of J&K’s statehood, the maverick parliamentarian shot back saying that the real fight was for restoration of 370 and not statehood.</p><p>Last month Ruhullah led a student protest over “rationalisation of the reservation policy” outside the residence of the Chief Minister. When Omar was asked about it during his press conference on Thursday he said, “It is good that Rahullah sahib protested outside my residence, but now I hope he will lead a similar protest in Parliament to advocate for the restoration of J&K’s statehood.”</p> .Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah hopes Union Territory status is temporary; asks Centre to fulfill promise on restoration of statehood.<p>Responding to the Chief Minister’s assertions, Ruhullah posted on X, “I’ve been informed about an urge and desire to protest for statehood in Delhi. I AM READY to participate in such a protest, and invite those prioritizing statehood to organize it. I will also try to organise support from at least more than 100 Hon’ble MPs. I believe for them there is no better time than January to organize it, when India's Constitution—the very document that enshrined our special status—was adopted.”</p><p>“At the same time I ought to remind that the abrogation of Article 370 was a calculated act of humiliation, and a deep wound deliberately inflicted upon us. The subsequent demotion to a Union Territory was a further attempt to impress upon us the indignity of the abrogation,” he said.</p> .<p>Elaborating further, the NC MP said, “The abrogation was a political statement, a declaration that our sacrifices mean nothing, and that our future is theirs to dictate. Given this betrayal, this calculated attempt to break our spirit and subjugate our will, I cannot, in good conscience, sidestep from the fight for our special status and settle for the hollow promise of mere statehood. Shouldn’t our voices first rise for our honor, our identity, and the autonomy we have long been denied?”</p><p>Ruhullah has periodically been at odds with his own party on various issues. In 2020, he had resigned as the party’s spokesperson over the NC leadership’s silence on the Centre’s decision to abrogate J&K’s special status.</p>
<p>Srinagar: Hours after Chief Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/omar-abdullah">Omar Abdullah</a> asked his party colleague and Member Parliament, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi to lead a protest in Parliament to advocate for the restoration of J&K’s statehood, the maverick parliamentarian shot back saying that the real fight was for restoration of 370 and not statehood.</p><p>Last month Ruhullah led a student protest over “rationalisation of the reservation policy” outside the residence of the Chief Minister. When Omar was asked about it during his press conference on Thursday he said, “It is good that Rahullah sahib protested outside my residence, but now I hope he will lead a similar protest in Parliament to advocate for the restoration of J&K’s statehood.”</p> .Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah hopes Union Territory status is temporary; asks Centre to fulfill promise on restoration of statehood.<p>Responding to the Chief Minister’s assertions, Ruhullah posted on X, “I’ve been informed about an urge and desire to protest for statehood in Delhi. I AM READY to participate in such a protest, and invite those prioritizing statehood to organize it. I will also try to organise support from at least more than 100 Hon’ble MPs. I believe for them there is no better time than January to organize it, when India's Constitution—the very document that enshrined our special status—was adopted.”</p><p>“At the same time I ought to remind that the abrogation of Article 370 was a calculated act of humiliation, and a deep wound deliberately inflicted upon us. The subsequent demotion to a Union Territory was a further attempt to impress upon us the indignity of the abrogation,” he said.</p> .<p>Elaborating further, the NC MP said, “The abrogation was a political statement, a declaration that our sacrifices mean nothing, and that our future is theirs to dictate. Given this betrayal, this calculated attempt to break our spirit and subjugate our will, I cannot, in good conscience, sidestep from the fight for our special status and settle for the hollow promise of mere statehood. Shouldn’t our voices first rise for our honor, our identity, and the autonomy we have long been denied?”</p><p>Ruhullah has periodically been at odds with his own party on various issues. In 2020, he had resigned as the party’s spokesperson over the NC leadership’s silence on the Centre’s decision to abrogate J&K’s special status.</p>