Srinagar, Aug 22: Washington has no business interfering in internal matters of other countries, National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi said Saturday, questioning Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s meeting with the US envoy despite violence in Palestine and Iran perpetrated by the United States and its ally Israel.
“If I were to receive legitimacy from the US ambassador, I would throw that legitimacy into the river. Now, when there is bloodshed in Palestine and Iran, the very perpetrator comes here to grant me legitimacy?
“What belongs to whom, whether the situation here is good or bad — why do I need to seek legitimacy for that from the US?” Mehdi told reporters here.
He was responding to a question about US Ambassador Sergio Gor’s recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
Gor sparked a diplomatic row by explicitly calling Jammu and Kashmir “an important part of India” during his official visit to Srinagar on August 19.
Mehdi said the US has no business meddling in affairs of other countries. “First, let them answer whether the US administration itself is legitimate? What are they doing in the regions and affairs of other nations? Who is part of what and who isn’t, is our internal matter; the US has nothing to do with this.
“Whether conditions here are fine or not is none of the US’ business,” he added.
He also questioned Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for meeting the US ambassador.
“I want to ask our chief minister: when the ambassador of that murderous regime came here, did you, on behalf of your people, ask him why they, and their ally Israel, are committing unjust killings in Palestine, and Iran? Even if you didn’t ask, did you at least lodge a note of protest before the US ambassador against the bloodshed they are causing in Palestine, Gaza, Iran, Yemen, and Lebanon?” Mehdi said.
The Srinagar Lok Sabha MP, said to be disgruntled with the party for some time now, said the people of Jammu and Kashmir “recognise them (US and Israel) as perpetrators”, and “our protest against them stands firm”.
To a question about some NC leaders calling for his resignation from the party, Mehdi said he received mandate from people to fight for the restoration of constitutional rights of Jammu and Kashmir, and not merely to talk about statehood.
“Today, I am asking the party to fight that same battle, but, in response, I am told to resign. I want them to be in that fight and support it, the fight for which we took votes from the people. But they are missing there,” he said.
Criticising the NC leadership, the MP said they “themselves have weakened and diluted the fight”.
“Instead of Article 370, instead of constitutional rights and guarantees, they have now come down to statehood and even business rules. So, they are failing at every stage when it comes to the fight for constitutional protections and rights,” he said.
He said if the party wants him to resign, it should send a show-cause notice to him.
“At least they should issue a show cause notice, ask me that you have violated the party at such and such places, you have violated the party’s ideology, you have violated the party’s stand. Then, I would be able to answer. They can’t even issue a show-cause notice,” Mehdi said, adding that the incompetence of the NC leadership has created confusion among people.
The MP further accused NC leaders of “arrogance”.
“It is this very arrogance that has brought them down and will continue to sink them. Until this arrogance is eradicated from the ranks of the party, they will neither be able to save themselves nor this nation,” he added.
