Outside Valley Inside Parliament: MP’s Pledge for Detained Kashmiris
Srinagar: National Conference’s Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday vowed to raise in Parliament and outside the issue of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside the valley and asked the party leaders to provide a list of such persons.
Mehdi addressed a congratulatory meeting of the NC functionaries at the party’s district headquarters Mujahid Manzil in the Pulwama district of south Kashmir.
He defeated PDP’s Waheed Ur Rehman Para by a margin of about 1.88 lakh votes in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.
The newly elected MP requested the party leaders to provide a list of individuals who have been imprisoned and promised to raise the issue of the prisoners, vowing to fight for their release.
“I will raise the issue of prisoners both inside and outside Parliament. The Pulwama district president and his associates should prepare a list of such youth hailing from Pulwama, who are languishing in jails and share it with me,” he said.
Mehdi said he will spare no effort to raise their issue at every forum, with every ministry and at every gathering.
Expressing gratitude to the party functionaries for his victory, Mehdi said it is now his responsibility to take the voice of the people to Parliament.
“A big thank you to the people of Srinagar, Pulwama, Ganderbal, Shopian, and Budgam for this mandate and faith in me. I am humbled and I am aware of the responsibility that this mandate brings with it.
“From here on, it is my responsibility to take your voice to Parliament. Rest assured, I will represent your sentiments and struggle for the return of our dignity and rights with complete sincerity,” he said.
Asks NTA To Reschedule UGC NET Exam
National Conference’s Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Saturday asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to postpone the UGC-NET June 2024 exams as the dates of the same clash with Eid ul Adha, stating that students of any faith and religion should not be forced into choosing between their religious duties and caree.
“Despite repeated requests from the students to reschedule these exams/tests, the NTA is unmoved. I hope it is not deliberately done to make Muslim students choose between faith and career. Students of any faith and religion should not be forced into choosing between their religious duties and career. These exams can well be rescheduled for anytime after Eid. I hope the NTA understands this simple fact and reschedules the tests,” Ruhullah said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has so far remained unmoved despite widespread pleas from Muslim students regarding the clash of the UGC NET exams scheduled for June 18, 2024, with the celebration of Eid ul-Adha. Despite numerous appeals for a date change, the NTA has yet to take any action or provide a response.
The scheduling conflict has created significant distress among the student community. Many aspirants have expressed their concerns about the practical difficulties they face due to the unavailability of public transport and the cultural importance of the festival.
“Eid ul-Adha is one of the most important festivals for us. It’s a time for family and religious observance. The lack of public transport on this day makes it nearly impossible for many of us to reach the exam centers. On Eid, most public transport services are either suspended or very limited. It will be extremely difficult to travel to the exam center, and many of us do not have alternative means of transportation,” the aspirants said.
The situation has sparked widespread concern and anxiety among students. Amir Fayaz, an aspirant, highlighted the broader impact: “It’s not just about missing the festival; it’s about the practical difficulties of reaching the exam center. We are ready to take the exam, but the timing is very problematic.”
Despite these concerns, the NTA has remained silent. Efforts by the new agency to contact the agency for comments on the scheduling conflict have gone unanswered, with no response to emails or texts.
