Ruhullah, Parra clash over Article 370 on X

Srinagar, Oct 31: Ruling National Conference (NC) Member Parliament Agha Syed Ruhullah and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed Parra Thursday entered into a duel on microblogging site X after Parra asked a few pointed questions to Ruhullah.

Parra earlier in his post on X sparked a debate saying that while many respect Ruhullah for consistently raising critical issues, there were some direct questions that merit clarification.

Parra asked why Ruhulla did not propose a resolution in the Parliament condemning the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, given that it was a parliamentary decision.

“This historic change reshaped the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, and a formal resolution would have been a strong symbolic gesture,” Parra posted on X.

He asked the NC MP if he could introduce a bill to restrict liquor sales in J&K, and why didn't he bring forward a bill focused on restoring Article 370 or re-establishing J&K’s special status.

“Such an initiative could have at least opened a dialogue on one of the most contentious issues affecting the region. Since law and order is a central subject, why haven’t you actively pushed for legislation in the Parliament aimed at curbing the misuse of UAPA,” Parra asked.

He said that this law had been widely criticised for its role in prolonged detentions without trial.

“With broad support from the INDIA alliance, a concerted effort could provide relief

to many affected individuals in J&K,” Parra shared in his long post on X.

He said that the reservation bill, which impacts J&K, was debated and could be amended in the Parliament.

“Why was there no formal protest or legislative action taken against the questionable reservation policies in the region? This would have been a significant platform to voice concerns about the fairness of these policies,” he said.

Parra said that these were pressing concerns that many in J&K expect leaders to address in the corridors of power.

“I look forward to hearing your stance on these critical issues,” Parra wrote.

In response to Parra’s post, Ruhullah said, the struggle for the return of rights and dignity (Article 370) was not a ladder to chair for him saying that it was his belief and conviction.

“So, more than theatrics, it is sentiment, emotion, expression, and pragmatic approach what I involve in my struggle for it,” he wrote while responding to the PDP legislator.

“Do you want me to commit a mistake by getting the resolution for Article 370 rejected by the Parliament where the same BJP which abrogated it is in majority? And then the history says that the parliament resolved against the Article 370,” Ruhulla asked Parra in his reply to his previous post.

Ruhulla said that he introduced the liquor bill keeping in mind that the BJP had declared Gujarat a dry state and there was a slight chance of opening the debate and getting the support for the same in J&K. “I also started a conversation with the fellow parliamentarians from other parties,” he said.

Referring to a bill for the restoration of Article 370, Ruhulla responded: “I don’t see BJP letting that bill be passed. And once again do you want a bill for Article 370 voted out in Parliament? As far the opening of dialogue is concerned, I started that inside the parliament even without introducing a bill.”

Ruhulla said that he submitted a starred question in the parliament asking the revocation of not only UAPA but also AFSFA.

“That was not listed in the business. So, keep some patience. I have only had one working session of parliament till now. There is a lot to come. By the way, it is in a way too harsh to expect me to clear the mess created by the decision of 2014/15 in one session of Parliament,” Ruhulla replied to Parra.

The NC Member of Parliament said that he did not protest outside the Parliament but talked about it inside the Parliament where it matters the most.

“I took them on inside the Parliament. Now, since my party has formed the government in J&K, I expect a collective and result-oriented effort on this with all my colleagues. I understood the matter before my election, committed myself to it during the election and stood by my commitment after being elected to the Parliament,” he said.

Ruhulla said that when Assembly elections were announced, he took this matter to the party which gracefully agreed to it and made it part of the manifesto.

"Now, after being elected to the assembly, I am sure my party is as committed to it as it was before. I have no confusion about it. I have never tweeted (X) and then deleted my statement about it. By the way, I missed your opinion about the reservation during the elections. What was it during the elections," Ruhulla said in his response to Parra's X post.

The NC said that he likes being put under regular scrutiny for the cause of Article 370.

"That’s what I wanted from day one. We all start talking about it and asking for the return of it. When I tweeted about it from inside the house arrest when 2G was restored, I was alone. Today I am happy that I am being scrutinised by a large number of people whether I am still committed to the cause or not," he said.