Kulgam: Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Monday said that people of Jammu and Kashmir were facing “institutional and constitutional injustices” and urged the elected government to fight democratically for the restoration of constitutional and cultural protections.
Ruhullah made these remarks while visiting Tarigam area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam to offer condolences to the family of late Sheikh Ghulam Hassan.
Expressing grief over the demise of the senior religious figure, Ruhullah said it was a moral and social responsibility to stand with bereaved families during difficult times.
Referring to the recent actions against religious institutions and clerics, the MP alleged that Kashmir as a whole had become a victim of systematic suppression. He said institutions were being shut down, madrassas targeted and religious leaders harassed under different pretexts.
“The mandate given in 2024 was not only for roads, electricity and water, but to fight against the constitutional and institutional injustices faced by the people after 2019,” he said.
Ruhullah further stated that individuals raising their voice against such actions were often branded as “anti-national” or booked under stringent laws like PSA and UAPA, forcing people to adopt democratic means to seek justice.
Commenting on the recent arrests and FIRs related to alleged religious conversions, the MP said that if conversion was voluntary and an individual’s personal choice, there was no need for government interference. He termed such actions part of an “anti-Muslim policy” being promoted from the Centre to the administration in Jammu and Kashmir.
He alleged that freedoms related to religion, thought and expression were gradually being curtailed, while institutions were being weakened and people intimidated.
“These are symptoms of a larger crisis that emerged after the constitutional changes of 2019,” Ruhullah said, adding that the struggle for restoration of constitutional rights, institutional freedom and rule of law must continue democratically.
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