📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Syed Shahzaman1
Politics
BJP hailed for Aga Syed Ruhullah’s exit from NC, party cites ‘Operation Lotus’
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 05 Nov 2026, 06:34 AM
👁 4
National Conference leader Salman Sagar claimed the BJP orchestrated Aga Syed Ruhullah’s departure from the party, describing it as part of a ‘Operation Lotus’ strategy.
National Conference (NC) legislator Aga Syed Ruhullah has left the party, a development that NC leaders are attributing to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strategic maneuvering. The move was announced shortly after internal discussions within the NC, and it marks a notable shift in the party’s leadership landscape in Jammu and Kashmir.
Salman Sagar, a senior NC leader and member of the legislative assembly, asserted that the BJP played a decisive role in facilitating Ruhullah’s exit. He described the episode as an execution of the BJP’s long‑standing “Operation Lotus”, a term the party has used in the past to denote efforts aimed at destabilising opposition outfits.
Operation Lotus, first coined during the BJP’s attempts to bring regional parties into its fold in several states, has been cited by opposition figures as a covert strategy to induce defections and weaken rival formations. Sagar’s remarks suggest that the NC views Ruhullah’s departure as part of a broader pattern of political engineering.
The BJP has not issued an official comment on the allegation, and no spokesperson responded to media queries at the time of reporting. The absence of a rebuttal leaves the claim unverified, but it underscores the heightened tension between the national ruling party and regional opposition in the valley.
Analysts note that the loss of a senior figure like Aga Syed Ruhullah could impact the NC’s organizational strength ahead of upcoming electoral contests, while also highlighting the continuing contest for influence in Jammu and Kashmir’s volatile political arena.
Salman Sagar, a senior NC leader and member of the legislative assembly, asserted that the BJP played a decisive role in facilitating Ruhullah’s exit. He described the episode as an execution of the BJP’s long‑standing “Operation Lotus”, a term the party has used in the past to denote efforts aimed at destabilising opposition outfits.
Operation Lotus, first coined during the BJP’s attempts to bring regional parties into its fold in several states, has been cited by opposition figures as a covert strategy to induce defections and weaken rival formations. Sagar’s remarks suggest that the NC views Ruhullah’s departure as part of a broader pattern of political engineering.
The BJP has not issued an official comment on the allegation, and no spokesperson responded to media queries at the time of reporting. The absence of a rebuttal leaves the claim unverified, but it underscores the heightened tension between the national ruling party and regional opposition in the valley.
Analysts note that the loss of a senior figure like Aga Syed Ruhullah could impact the NC’s organizational strength ahead of upcoming electoral contests, while also highlighting the continuing contest for influence in Jammu and Kashmir’s volatile political arena.