SRINAGAR, Sept 10: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday welcomed the interim bail granted to jailed MP Engineer Rashid, saying “this is a step towards justice”.
“I welcome the interim bail order granted to Eng. Rashid Sahib by the Delhi Patiala House Court. As a democratically elected MP with a strong mandate, this is a step towards justice and his right to campaign in the assembly elections,” Azad said in a post on X.
National Conference Vice-President, Omar Abdullah said Engineer Rashid has been granted bail to fetch votes from the people of Kashmir, not serve them.
“We were aware that it would happen. I feel regret for the people of Baramulla parliamentary constituency as this bail has not been granted to serve them or attend Parliament,” Abdullah told reporters.
“He has not been granted bail to work as a parliamentarian but to fetch votes here. After that, he will be taken back to Tihar (jail) and the people of north Kashmir will again be without a representative,” he added.
Abdullah, however, said it remained to be seen how the voters would respond to Rashid's interim bail and what its implications would be in the elections.
“The way the (Union) home minister (Amit Shah) said in a press conference that they (BJP) will form a government with the Awami Ittehad Party, People's Conference, and other parties, so, if people want to help the BJP form the next government, then let them support these parties,” he added.
Abdullah was also asked about jailed cleric Sarjan Barkati contesting against him from the Ganderbal seat, to which he replied, “There is something that jailed persons are going after me alone.”
“This is not something ordinary. I can understand it as a coincidence that Rashid contests against me once but then fielding a person on two seats — had I announced my candidature from Budgam two days before I did, Barkati would have contested from Budgam as well — they are making attempts but I am hopeful that their attempts will fail,” he said.
Cautioning the people against supporting Independent candidates, Abdullah said voting for them was akin to voting for the BJP. “If you want to keep the BJP out, then vote for the National Conference and its alliance partner,” he added.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti asserted that only her Party advocates the resolution of Kashmir issue and speaks about the youths “languishing in jails”.
She targeted jailed Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), saying a person in jail is contesting elections, while a poor person's family is not allowed to meet their kin in jails.
“The PDP is the only party which advocates resolution of Kashmir issue, which talks about the youths of J-K languishing in jails, which talks about oppression in J-K. The other parties have become worried by that, and they do not have any other option than to apologise to the people,” Mehbooba Mufti told reporters in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.
After the attack, Mufti had accused AIP of being a proxy of the BJP.
“On one hand, the parents of a poor person in jail are not allowed to meet him, but on the other hand, some people are contesting elections from jail, form parties, they are provided vehicles and security.
“When they attack our candidate, instead of the police taking action against them, the Election Commission sends notice to our candidate. By this you should come to know about the person contesting elections from inside jail,” the PDP chief said.
