With a fresh ultimatum, Srinagar MP deepens rift with National Conference, his own party

Since the Omar Abdullah government took office last year, Ruhullah has sided with the “open merit” students agitating for a population-based rationalisation of reservation in J&K. Representative organisations have argued that reservation for reserved groups in J&K surpasses 60%, leaving the larger group of unreserved students with limited opportunities.

Differences between the MP and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have grown since the former joined a student protest outside the latter’s residence in Srinagar in December last year. The MP has also publicly voiced his resentment against the “government’s lack of progress” on promises made in the party manifesto.

Ruhullah said, “Last year they (the government) said six months. Those six months have turned into a year. A few weeks ago, before the Budgam Assembly election, they said a few days without letting anyone know whether they had resolved the issue or not. Those few days are now turning into more than a month.”

Referring to his differences with the National Conference, he said, “Is this about personal egos? Is this entire generation being punished because I have been speaking for them? Alright, I will pull myself out of this issue for a month. Meet the students, resolve the issue rationally, and take them to your fold. Curse me and turn them against me, but please resolve this issue, which is about their careers.” Ruhullah added that even if the issue is solved sometime in the future, “which I think is unlikely, what will compensate the years they have already lost and the vacancies which are already gone?”

After consultation with various student groups, a Cabinet sub-committee constituted to look into the issue submitted its report to the J&K Cabinet in June this year. In October, the Chief Minister said that a memo regarding the rationalisation of reservation would be sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.