MP Rashid takes fight to Mehbooba’s bastion in south Kashmir

AIP chairman Engineer Rashid targets former J&K CMs in election rallies, sparking political tensions in south Kashmir.

On his second day out of jail, Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) chairman and MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, lost no opportunity to target former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti in election rallies in south Kashmir, a bastion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ms. Mufti is president of the PDP, while Mr. Abdullah — who lost a Lok Sabha seat to Mr. Rashid a few months ago — is vice president of the National Conference. The AIP has fielded candidates in 13 of the 16 Assembly segments in south Kashmir for the upcoming election.

Mr. Rashid has been released from Tihar Jail on a 22-day parole to campaign for the J&K election. “Our so-called regional leaders, Mr. Abdullah and Ms. Mufti, were quick to congratulate Arvind Kejriwal [Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party chief] on his bail from the Supreme Court, yet they criticised my interim bail. They hold sit-ins in Delhi and other places for the release of Kejriwal, but have never organised any sit-in or protest in favour of Kashmiris languishing in jails inside and outside Kashmir,” he said.

Mr. Rashid managed to defeat not just Mr. Abdullah, but also the J&K Peoples Conference’s Sajad Lone in the Lok Sabha election, bagging over 4.7 lakh votes even while sitting in Tihar Jail. His sons have turned his imprisonment into a war cry in the Lok Sabha by introducing the slogans like “Jail ka badla vote saay (Cast vote to avenge the jailing of Mr. Rashid)“.

“Mr. Abdullah and Ms. Mufti never spoke up against my detention,” he said.

Fielding candidates for 13 seats from south Kashmir for the first time, Mr. Rashid reiterated that his struggle was “focused on the broader cause of restoring J&K’s special status”. At a rally in Anantnag, he said: “Our goal is also the resolution of the Kashmir issue, which these leaders have consistently sidelined.” He accused Ms. Mufti of using “pellets, bullets and jails” during her term as J&K CM. 

At his own rally in south Kashmir, Mr. Abdullah also launched salvos at Mr. Rashid. In an indirect reference, he said that people need to “vote against those preparing to ally with the BJP post-election”. He added: “Political figures might remain ambiguous in their stance towards the BJP, the NC is fully committed to keeping them out of power in the region and rectify the injustices done to J&K. Why doesn’t Mr. Rashid categorically reject any future alliance with the BJP?”