SRINAGAR, Sept 11:National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha member Ruhullah Mehdi on Wednesday voiced concern that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are growing increasingly disappointed, as their expectations of empowerment and accountability following the party’s sweeping mandate in the Assembly polls have not been met. He stressed that elected representatives must remain true to the promises on which they sought votes; otherwise, they risk betraying the very people they represent.
Speaking to reporters during an interaction with civil society members at the Town Hall in Anantnag, Mehdi said, “The empowerment and accountability for which people voted have not materialised. In fact, the situation today reflects a lack of empowerment, which has left people feeling let down.”
The Srinagar MP urged lawmakers to stay focused on the core issues that resonated with voters. “The elected leaders should struggle for the issues on which they got the mandate. If they fail to do so or settle for anything less, it amounts to a betrayal of the people’s trust,” he remarked.
Known for his outspoken views, Mehdi has often clashed with the NC’s leadership on key issues, particularly the demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status under Article 370 and the existing reservation policy in the Union Territory. However, he clarified that his visit to Anantnag was not political in nature. “I am here not as a representative of any party, but as an individual engaging with civil society. Anyone could have participated in this event, whether from NC, PDP, Congress, or elsewhere. Even NC members are free to not attend,” he said.
Mehdi also dismissed rumours that he had been detained en route to Anantnag or that the venue had been sealed. “These tactics do not bother me. The administration may have wanted to disrupt the programme, but it went ahead as planned,” he noted.
Responding to a pointed question about the Public Safety Act (PSA), which was introduced by the NC government in earlier decades but later opposed by the party during last year’s Assembly campaign, Mehdi admitted that while the law was initially framed to curb timber smuggling, it had since been “misused” for broader political purposes. “The NC had promised in its manifesto that once statehood was restored, it would revoke the PSA. But until law and order returns fully to the hands of an elected government, such steps remain outside our control,” he explained.
The MP reiterated that the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status is central to ensuring meaningful empowerment and accountability. “This is why I keep insisting that our struggle must continue. Once we reclaim our rights, then we can change laws like PSA. But we seem to have moved away from that fight, and that is a mistake. People voted for us to fight for these rights, and we must not forget that responsibility,” Mehdi concluded.