Independent MP from Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid has once again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rashid says that he has won the Lok Sabha elections by a bigger margin than PM Modi. Meanwhile, the two major parties of the region, National Conference and People’s Democratic Party, are cornering the Bharatiya Janata Party over Rashid’s release.
Rashid has recently come out of Tihar Jail after serving a sentence of about 5 years. In the Panchayat Aaj Tak program, he talked about his victory in the Lok Sabha elections. He said, ‘I have won the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla by a bigger margin than the margin by which PM Modi won from Varanasi.’ PM Modi had won the election from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat of Uttar Pradesh by more than 1 lakh 52 thousand votes. Whereas, Rashid’s victory margin was more than 2 lakh votes.
He said, ‘The votes that came in my share were just a referendum against what happened on 5 August 2019.’ Five years ago on 5 August, the NDA government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party at the center had decided to abolish Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. However, this is not the first time. Earlier also, PM Modi’s issue of ‘Naya Kashmir’ has been questioned.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi must have realised by now that his slogan of ‘Naya Kashmir’ has completely failed. There was no ‘Naya’ Kashmir, it was Kashmir of oppression, Kashmir of suffering, Kashmir of disaster, Kashmir under UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act),” he said during a rally at Delina in Baramulla district on Thursday.
He said Kashmiris cannot be suppressed by imprisoning them, Hurriyat leaders, Kashmiri youth. “We will take revenge through our votes,” the MP said. He said the prime minister mediates between warring countries and holds talks with the Taliban in Doha, but Kashmiris are still branded as terrorists.
NC and PPP surrounded
The MP said, ‘The betrayal by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is bigger than that of Sheikh Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah, because he (Mufti) brought the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to Jammu and Kashmir. If Ms Mehbooba had a conscience, she should have apologised to the people for joining hands with the BJP.’
Here, NC and PPP allege that the central government has released Rashid to cut the opposition’s votes in the assembly elections. The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief was released on interim bail on Wednesday. He was jailed under UAPA.
(With agency input)
