Srinagar, November 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Senior Shia Muslim leader and Srinagar-Budgam MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday announced his resignation from the ruling National Conference (NC) and his Lok Sabha seat, launching a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and party president Farooq Abdullah.
Addressing a large gathering at Behisti Zehra Park in Budgam, Mehdi took a swipe at Omar Abdullah, saying: “The chair you occupy today has power, but no respect; if you want to see respect, come to Budgam.”
Explaining his decision to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Mehdi claimed the NC leadership had persuaded him to fight from Baramulla before shifting him to Srinagar. He said the party had presented Parliament as the right forum to raise public issues, with restoration of Article 370 and the dignity of people as its stated objectives. He added that he had recorded the conversations and would make them public.
Mehdi accused the NC leadership of making promises on Article 370, reservations, free LPG and electricity during the election campaign but failing to deliver after coming to power. He also criticised the government’s handling of electricity tariffs and smart meters, alleging that Omar Abdullah had promised to throw the meters into the Jhelum but later increased tariffs.
Taking aim at Farooq Abdullah, Mehdi said: “Dr Sahib, you told me to read the Quran. Isn’t the Quran for you and your son as well? If you had read the Quran, you would know that Allah commands us not to bow our heads before the oppressors and not to lose hope.”
He also warned Omar Abdullah that people would remove him from power, saying: “Nobody will come from Delhi to save you.”
Mehdi said he was ending his 24-year association with the National Conference and relinquishing his parliamentary seat. He signed the papers resigning from the party’s primary membership before the gathering in Budgam.
FOLLOW NOW
