Srinagar: National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi on Monday alleged that the 2018 Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections were deliberately delayed as part of a “conspiracy” to enable the “backdoor” abrogation of Article 370.
“The Constitution mandates that elections must be held within six months of a seat becoming vacant or if the Assembly is dissolved. In 2018, when the Assembly was dissolved, the elections were delayed by the regime, which was both illegal and unconstitutional,” Mehdi told reporters in Budgam, central Kashmir.
Mehdi, the Srinagar MP, claimed the delay was orchestrated to ensure that the Assembly was not in place, allowing Article 370 to be revoked “through the backdoor” via the governor’s signature. “It was the biggest legal and constitutional robbery,” he said.
Regarding the appointment of observers for the bypolls in Budgam and Nagrota assembly segments, Mehdi, a three-time representative of Budgam in the erstwhile J-K Assembly, expressed hope that these elections would coincide with the Bihar polls. “More than a year has passed, and the people of Budgam and Nagrota have been waiting for these by-elections. With the report about observers yesterday, I hope the elections will be announced alongside Bihar’s,” he said.
The Budgam bypoll became necessary after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah vacated the seat, having also won from the Ganderbal assembly segment, which he retained. The Nagrota seat fell vacant following the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana shortly after his election.
On the situation in Ladakh, Mehdi said those who initially supported the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of J-K into two Union Territories now recognize that the “disempowerment” was not in the region’s interest. “When J-K was disempowered and divided, we warned it was detrimental to the state. Today, even those who supported the division and revocation of special status see that it was not in anyone’s favor,” he said.
The MP, a prominent Shia leader, criticized the government for targeting dissenters. “In Kashmir, PSA and UAPA have become routine. People who supported the BJP for years are now arrested, with laws like the NSA being used against them,” he said, referencing activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Mehdi accused the BJP of prioritizing party interests over the national interest. “This regime disregards national interest and acts solely on party lines. Anyone voicing opposition, irrespective of religion, is branded anti-national, while supporters face no scrutiny. This has been the reality in Kashmir and is now unfolding in Ladakh,” he added.
However, he expressed support for the genuine demands of the people of Ladakh.
