Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir): Jailed Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid, who was charged with terror funding, has been granted interim bail on Tuesday till October 2. This has elicited an enthusiastic response from members of the Awami Itehad Party (AIP) while unnerving the political rivals who were accusing him of being a BJP proxy.
Reacting to the Delhi Patiala’s judgement, AIP spokesperson Firdous Baba told ETV Bharat that it is a welcome decision of the court and that their leader has been given his right.
“When Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi chief minister) and PDP’s youth leader Waheed Para have been granted bail from UAPA, they have no problem with it. But when a common Kashmiri like Engineer Rashid is released from jail and given a chance to meet his family and the people who support him, the political parties must have been happy over it. But they are anxious and suspect it,” Baba said.
He added that traditional political parties are anxious because Rashid will challenge their status quo and the exploitation of the people of Kashmir. “These parties want common Kashmiris to rot in jail,” he said.
On the accusations of National Conference and PDP for calling AIP candidates and other independents “BJP proxies” Baba said these parties must not accuse others of being partners of BJP but look inwards as to who has shared power with BJP.
“Omar Abdullah was baptised in politics by BJP when he was a junior minister in their government in 1999, while Mehbooba Mufti was the chief minister with BJP’s support in Jammu and Kashmir. So the onus is on these parties to shy away from labelling us as BJP’s proxies when they both have enjoyed power with them,” he said.
Rashid was in Tihar jail for last five years on the charges of terror funding by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He contested the recent general elections from Baramulla from jail and secured a thumping victory against NC vice-president Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone of Peoples Conference.
The spokespersons of PDP and NC haven't commented yet on the interim bail.
With Engineer’s release, his party candidates will get a boost in the campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections to be held in three phases from September 18. AIP has fielded more than 30 candidates.
“Our leader will campaign across the valley for our candidates. His campaign will give a setback to the NC and PDP candidates in the election results,” Baba said.
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