‘Only mainstream leader to be persecuted by ruling party’: Engineer Rashid rebuffs ‘BJP proxy’ tag

Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid dismisses BJP proxy allegations, criticizes former CMs, and emphasizes Kashmiri resilience and rights.

Lok Sabha MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid has strongly dismissed allegations that he serves as a proxy for the BJP and asserted that his electoral success in the general elections was a reflection of the public's sentiments against the Modi government's 'Naya Kashmir' initiative.

In an interview with PTI videos, Mr. Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, said those labelling him as a BJP proxy should be "ashamed of themselves," as he considers himself the only mainstream leader to have faced persecution from the ruling party.

Mr. Rashid also criticised former chief ministers Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming both failed the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 by the central government in August 2019.

"The people who accuse me of being a BJP proxy should feel ashamed. I am the only one who was victimised by the BJP. While Omar and Mehbooba were kept in SKICC for several months during the abrogation, I was the only MLA jailed in Tihar," he said.

"He (Abdullah) could neither become (Mahatma) Gandhi nor Subash Chandra Bose and same way Mehbooba neither became (queen) Razia Sultan nor Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar. They are puppets, rubber stamps..." Rashid, who defeated Abdullah in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seats by over two lakh votes, said.

Arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019 on charges related to terror funding, Rashid was granted interim bail on September 10 to campaign for the candidates of his Awami Itehad Party until October 2.

The Lok Sabha MP expressed pride in the resilience of the Kashmiri people, emphasising that they are not beggars in need of mercy.