Agha Ruhullah Slams BJP for Disempowering Kashmiris, Calls for Restoration of Rights

As political tensions deepen in IIOJK, prominent Kashmiri leader Agha Ruhullah Mehdi raises serious concerns over the BJP-led government’s alleged agenda to silence and sideline Kashmiri voices.

Senior National Conference leader and Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Agha Ruhullah Mehdi, has openly criticized the Modi-led BJP government for its ongoing attempts to disempower the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir(IIOJK). In a recent interview at his Budgam residence, Mehdi stated that New Delhi is not interested in restoring the region’s statehood and is instead working to keep Kashmiris politically and socially marginalized.

He claimed that the BJP is using every possible means to weaken the democratic foundations in the region. Mehdi emphasized that institutions are being eroded under the current regime, leaving the people of IIOJK without proper representation or rights.

One of the key issues Mehdi highlighted was the amended Waqf Law, which he believes is a part of a larger agenda by the BJP-RSS alliance to suppress Muslims. According to him, the law specifically targets Muslim religious institutions, while Hindu temples and trusts face no such interference. He denounced the amendment as an attack on religious freedom and a step toward making Muslims second-class citizens in their own land.

Mehdi expressed disappointment that the Kashmir Assembly failed to take a stand against the Waqf Amendment Act. He stated that the legislative body should have passed a resolution opposing the law, but sadly, the opportunity was never given.

The senior politician also voiced concern about the direction his own party, the National Conference, is taking. He warned that the party is growing distant from the people’s sentiments and needs to realign with their aspirations. Citing a lack of communication with party leader Omar Abdullah, Mehdi revealed that their contact has been limited to Eid greetings and that recent efforts by Abdullah to reach out to the Indian government have been largely ignored.

Regarding the role of the region’s current administration, Mehdi was sharply critical of the Lieutenant Governor of IIOJK, Manoj Sinha. He accused Sinha of deliberately undermining local governance and bypassing democratic norms. Mehdi stressed that the imposition of a Lieutenant Governor instead of an elected Chief Minister is unacceptable and that IIOJK’s leadership must push back against such measures.

Concluding his remarks, Agha Ruhullah called for a collective struggle — not just for the restoration of statehood, but for reclaiming every right that has been stripped from the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.