Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
National Conference MP from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday termed the Centre’s decision to grant constitutional safeguards and legislative protections to Ladakh as a “slap on the face” of the political leadership of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters, Ruhullah said the development exposed the inability of Kashmir’s leadership to secure similar constitutional protections for the region. He remarked that if the leadership of a “small region like Ladakh” could successfully fight the Government of India and secure its rights, there was no reason why Kashmir’s leadership could not achieve the same.
“This is a slap on the face of the leadership of Kashmir. If the leadership of a small region like Ladakh can fight against the Government of India and get their rights, then there is no reason why the leadership of Kashmir could not do so,” he said.
The Srinagar MP added that the people of Ladakh had demonstrated that constitutional and political rights could only be achieved through sustained political struggle and resistance.
Reacting to remarks by BJP leader Sunil Sharma, who described Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as “missing”, Ruhullah said the BJP was free to file a missing report if it wished, adding that people too would like to know his whereabouts.
Commenting on the ongoing demolition drives and land retrieval operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Ruhullah opposed what he described as “bulldozer justice” and stressed that all disputes related to land ownership and encroachment should be resolved strictly through legal and judicial mechanisms.
“There should be nothing beyond the court and the law. Whether it is demolition, acquisition or retrieval of land, due legal process must be followed. Muslims and non-Muslims should be treated equally under the law,” he said.
Ruhullah further said that if individuals possessed valid ownership documents that could stand scrutiny in a court of law, such claims should not be dismissed arbitrarily. He reiterated that laws must be implemented uniformly across India and Jammu and Kashmir without selectively targeting any particular community.
