Srinagar, Nov 4 (NVI): Senior National Conference leaders on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had benefited from Agha Ruhullah’s decision to quit the party and relinquish his Lok Sabha membership, describing the developments as a possible success of what they termed “Operation Lotus” in Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Nawai Subah, here, NC MLAs Salman Ali Sagar and Sajad Shaheen defended the party leadership and asserted that Ruhullah’s departure would not weaken the organisation.
Salman Ali Sagar said the party respected every individual’s democratic right to express disagreement with the leadership and take independent political decisions. However, he questioned the manner in which Ruhullah announced his resignation and raised concerns over his remarks about the party leadership and its political legacy.
He said issues such as Articles 370 and 35A should not be used to justify leaving the party, asserting that the National Conference had consistently maintained its political position on these matters.
Alleging that the BJP had ultimately benefited from the developments, Sagar said he believed the saffron party had succeeded in its efforts to push Ruhullah out of the National Conference.
He questioned Ruhullah’s decision to part ways with the party, saying he should have raised his concerns within the organisational structure and engaged with party leaders before taking such a step.
Sagar also questioned Ruhullah’s engagement with the party organisation and asked how many MLAs and senior leaders he had consulted before announcing his decision.
Maintaining that the National Conference was not dependent on any individual, Sagar said the party had faced political challenges and pressure for decades but continued to remain strong.
He said the party had received a public mandate to politically empower people and communities and was committed to pursuing its political agenda.
Meanwhile, Sajad Shaheen termed the developments unfortunate, saying that while every individual had the democratic right to express disagreement with the leadership, the manner in which the issue was handled was regrettable.
He said Ruhullah’s political journey and association with the National Conference could not be separated from the party’s history, adding that his departure should not be seen as a setback to the organisation.
The leaders maintained that the National Conference would continue to pursue its organisational and political agenda despite differences and challenges. (NVI)
