NC’s Ruhullah: BJP Pushing India Toward China-Style One-Party Rule, Misusing Institutions to Silence Opposition

Srinagar: National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi has accused the BJP of pushing India toward a China-style “one nation, one party” system, warning that democratic institutions are being reshaped to serve partisan interests.

His remarks, made amid speculation of internal strains within the NC, carried a wider resonance as he linked the fate of Jammu and Kashmir to the broader trajectory of Indian democracy. 

“The removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was not just about us,” Ruhullah said.

“It was the beginning of a process that the rest of India is now facing. What was done here is being repeated elsewhere,” added he.

He alleged that the Election Commission, police, and paramilitary forces are being used to silence opposition voices, reducing the Constitution to a nominal framework while real authority remains concentrated in the ruling party.

On Assam and Bengal, Ruhullah said that constituency boundaries and voter management have been manipulated to reduce the influence of Muslim minorities.

“The way delimitation was carried out, and the way candidates were disqualified, shows how representation is being deliberately weakened,” he said.

He added that the deployment of paramilitary forces during elections was further proof of how electoral processes are being compromised.

Ruhullah further raised concerns about the judiciary, saying it has traditionally been the safeguard for citizens but is now showing signs of compromise.

“When even the judiciary bends, where does the ordinary citizen turn for justice?” he asked, citing the SIR issue as an example of judicial independence being undermined.

Linking these developments to broader BJP initiatives such as “one nation, one election” and “one nation, one language,” Ruhullah warned that such measures pose a direct threat to India’s federal character.

“These slogans are not about unity; they are about control,” he said.

While appealing to voters, Ruhullah urged them to resist what he described as a centralizing agenda and to protect the regional identity of Jammu and Kashmir.

“This is not just about Kashmir,” he said, while he added that, “It is about preserving pluralism and democratic representation across India,”.