Will fight Modi's Naya Kashmir narrative, says 'Engineer' Rashid

Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party and INDIA bloc, alleging that the ruling party at the Centre hits upfront while the opposition grouping stabs in the back.

Wearing a black band on his left arm to register his protest against abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Baramulla MP also made it clear that his party will contest 35 to 40 seats in Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections and that there will be no coalition with any political party but only with his "inner self".

Rashid was addressing a press conference after walking out of Tihar Jail on interim bail till October 2 for campaigning in the J&K polls.

"When I went in on August 2, I had a state, Article 370 and Article 35A. Now when I came out there is neither a state, nor Article 370 or 35A, only a charge sheet," he said about his black band protest.

He said the issue of Article 370 has nothing to do with militancy.

On the accusations from the PDP that he was a proxy for the BJP, Rashid said, "We were in prison for five and half years while they were enjoying themselves. We are dying. They should be ashamed for asking such questions. I came out of death bed but I was not presented as a victim. I remained silent."

He said the PDP entertained the BJP and formed a government with it.

"They become ministers, they form governments, form coalitions. Who the hell are they? People know everything. They have given the verdict. The reason why I was put in jail, that cause is much bigger than the allegations of Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah."

Making clear that he is a proud Islamist and not radical, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief, who is facing charges of terror funding and was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on August 9, 2019, said, "No Islamist can be radical...I love people of India and believe in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)."

"Just like Modi's call for nationalism is fake, so is their (INDIA bloc) call for secularism. Both nationalism and secularism are dirty things used by them to bring bad name to real nationalism and secularism," Rashid said.

"The BJP says that they will restore statehood at right time, our fight is not for statehood. When will that right time come, we have been waiting since 1947," he said.

Rashid said he has a message to the BJP that "we do not have any fight with you but do not sacrifice Kashmiris for your political agenda".

"I also have a question for the INDIA bloc. They are not clear on their stance. Modi ji hits upfront while INDIA hits from behind. They weakened Article 370, Modi buried its body," he said.

He said the BJP government was labelling former chief minister Farooq Abdullah as an anti-national whose father Sheikh Abdullah gave Kashmir on a platter to India. "Sheikh Abdullah insulted Mohammed Ali Jinnah (founder of Pakistan) for India. Who can question Farooq Abdullah credentials who openly says Bharat Mata ki jai in Kashmir and has advocated bombing Pakistan".

Challenging the Centre to allow him to speak in Parliament, Rashid said the claims of the BJP that the entire nation was with them on abrogation of Article 370 was destroyed in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

"They (BJP) went asking for at least 370 seats in just concluded parliamentary elections as they wanted the nation to acknowledge what they did in Jammu and Kashmir. The result is in front of your eyes," he said.

He said five of our Kashmiri daughters including Asiya Andrabi are lodged in Tihar Jail. "They are our Sita. At least you can send them to Kashmir if you want to keep them in prison. If you want to bring hearts closer, is it the way that you can't find space in Kashmir prisons for Kashmiri daughters? It is too much."

He rejected the claims of the BJP that people were happy after the removal of special status and said "if people would have been happy after abrogation, government would not have to bury separatists like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Ashraf Sehrai or Altaf Fantoosh in the dead of night and put thousands of people in jail".

He said that his party AIP, which is yet to get recognition from the Election Commission of India, had been singled out and kept out of any deliberations that have taken place between government and political parties. "Even parties like AAP and Shiv Sena have been called for talks".

Rashid went on to buttress his case of being singled out and said former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were released after sometime and the Public Safety Act was revoked against them.

"Even bureaucrat like Shah Faisal's PSA was revoked. But I was called over the phone and put in Tihar jail."

He claimed that he was not allowed to speak to his family since January 18. However, the charge had been put before the special court that a secret report from Jammu and Kashmir as well as Home Ministry suggested misuse of telephone facility by the accused.

Later at request and an undertaking in the court, Rashid was allowed to make two calls in three weeks to his wife and children under certain conditions.
Rashid was granted an interim bail on Tuesday to allow him to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election till October 2 after which he has to surrender.

After filing a supplementary charge sheet against the accused, the court had framed charges against Rashid various sections of IPC and UAPA which include waging war against the country, sedition and doing an act with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security of the country.

Rashid said he has become an MP with support of people. "Are they all separatists," he said and warned that if such a narrative is allowed to be built, the nation is playing in the hands of the enemy.

On Kashmiri Pandit "brothers", he said they are saying they want to come back for the last several years but are not able to do so.

"I feel their pain. Any innocent of any religion, caste or nationality being killed is wrong. You call it ethnic cleansing or want to condemn in any words but also remember that one lakh Kashmiri people have also died. It is not that our one lakh people have gone for a picnic and will come back. No one talks about us," he said.

"If our Kashmiri Pandit brothers want to come back, they should state it openly," he said.

"If they want to come back, I will raise volunteers who will guard their villages just like from 1989 to 2004 our 250-300 volunteers guarded army camps. We will do the same for our Pandit brothers. They have to decide. Kashmir belongs to them as much as it belongs to me. Along with them, around 30,000 people who were forced to cross the border because of shelling in 1989 should also be allowed to return," he added.