Thu Sep 12 12:33:04 UTC 2024: ## Engineer Rashid, Released from Jail, Vows to Fight Modi’s Kashmir Policy
**New Delhi:** Jammu and Kashmir’s MP from Baramulla, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has vowed to continue his fight against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir. This comes shortly after his release on interim bail from Tihar Jail, where he was incarcerated for several years.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Rashid vehemently refuted allegations of being a BJP proxy, stating that he would fight against Modi’s policies “till his last breath.” He described himself as a victim of the BJP’s policies, claiming that Modi’s “New Kashmir” slogan has had no real impact on the ground.
He attributed his recent Lok Sabha victory, achieved while he was still in jail, to the people’s resentment towards Modi’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and the subsequent suppression of dissent.
“My victory was to send a message across about what exactly the people of Kashmir want,” he said, questioning why the BJP failed to find a single candidate from Kashmir for the elections if the people were truly happy with the abrogation of Article 370.
Rashid also expressed concern about the government’s policy towards Ladakh and questioned why he is not allowed to enter Parliament. He accused the authorities of subjecting him to mental torture in Tihar Jail, including deprivation of phone calls in the months leading up to the Lok Sabha elections. He claimed that attempts were made to force him to support BJP-backed candidates.
Launching a scathing attack on his political opponents, including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, Rashid asserted that his fight was for the people, not for personal gain. He criticized Abdullah for his alleged hypocrisy in calling him a BJP proxy, while simultaneously benefiting from the same system he criticizes.
Rashid also accused the successive governments at the Centre of betraying the conditions on which Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession in 1947. He pledged to ensure the safety and security of displaced Kashmiri Pandit families if they are willing to return to their homes.
He further stated that his Awami Itihad Party (AIP) will field over 35 candidates in the upcoming Union Territory Assembly polls, with the promise of creating a “real New Kashmir.”
With his release on bail until October 2, Rashid remains a vocal critic of the BJP’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir, promising to continue his fight for the rights of the people.
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