MP Faces Backlash After Bold Protest at CM’s Residence, Sparks Tension with Ally Congress | India News
A day after participating in a student-led protest outside the residence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference (NC) MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi faces criticism from his own party and its ally, Congress. NC’s youth president, Salman Sagar, criticized Mehdi, asserting that “no one is bigger than the party.” Congress leader G A Mir also condemned Mehdi’s participation, suggesting it was done “just for the cameras.”
The protest was attended by opposition PDP members Waheed ur Rehman Para and Iltija Mufti, alongside general category students demanding the reduction of job and education reservations in the Union Territory from nearly 60% to 25%. Sagar emphasized the importance of reservation issues but stated that Mehdi’s approach of directly leading students to party leaders was inappropriate. He also reproached Mehdi for aligning with opposition figures during the protest and urged internal discussion within the party.
Congress’s Mir echoed this sentiment, advising that Mehdi should have addressed the issue internally before taking it public. He mentioned varying population statistics complicating the reservation debate and cited Rahul Gandhi’s proposal for a nationwide caste census as a potential solution.
After meeting with protesters, the Chief Minister requested six months to review the reservation policy, which PDP chief and former CM Mehbooba Mufti criticized as excessive, warning it could disadvantage open merit candidates amid upcoming recruitments. She highlighted the NC’s reluctance to quickly resolve the issue despite its political strength, speculating they hoped for a judicial decision to sidestep responsibility.
The reservation policy remains contentious, with challenges pending in the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, adding further complexity to an already heated political discourse.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/after-protesting-outside-cms-home-j-k-mp-faces-ire-from-own-party-ally-congress-9743060/
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Publish Date: 2024-12-25 07:15:00