The prominent leaders of Jammu and Kashmir are extremely angry at the release of Engineer Rashid, accused of terror funding. Citing the people of the valley, only one question comes out of the mouth of the leaders – why was Engineer Rashid not released when he was contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla? And why has he been released now?
This question is completely political, and is like the anger of Kashmiri leaders against BJP coming out on the tongue. Engineer Rashid has got interim bail from the Delhi court only for the Jammu and Kashmir election campaign. Just like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got it during the Lok Sabha elections. After October 2, Engineer Rashid will also have to surrender just like Arvind Kejriwal had to do. Arvind Kejriwal had even applied for extension of bail, but the Supreme Court rejected it.
Leaders of both the National Conference and PDP are attacking the ruling BJP leadership at the centre. Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti started raising questions after the bail was granted, Iltija Mufti, who is going to contest elections for the first time on a PDP ticket, is looking even more aggressive.
Iltija Mufti’s question on the release of Engineer Rashid
Iltija Mufti, PDP leader and daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, is starting her political innings in the assembly elections. She is going to contest the election from Bijbehara seat of Jammu and Kashmir on a PDP ticket.
Iltija is the third generation leader of the Mufti family, who is contesting from this seat. Iltija was seen more active when Mehbooba Mufti was put under house arrest during the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir – in those days Iltija Mufti was the voice of her mother Mehbooba Mufti through her social media handles.
In the second session of Aaj Tak’s special program ‘Panchayat Aaj Tak’, ‘Will PDP get power?’, when Iltija Mufti is asked questions related to Engineer Rashid’s release, she gets irritated and says not to deviate from important issues. Iltija Mufti considers talking about Engineer Rashid a waste of time, but she becomes aggressive when the topic is mentioned.
Iltija Mufti, in-charge of PDP’s election campaign, asks, ‘Now he has got bail… why did he not get bail to carry out his campaign?’
Iltija Mufti also says that she has no complaints against Engineer Rashid, but she is not able to digest his victory from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat. Engineer Rashid has defeated National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, with whom PDP has a different political rivalry. National Conference and Congress are contesting the elections in alliance, but PDP is not a part of it.
On the issue of release of Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, Iltija Mufti’s next question is, why only he is being released? Why are the other prisoners and youths of Kashmir not being released?
Panchayat says on the stage of Aaj Tak, ‘People also have the same question… I meet so many women… they have sons in thousands… young people are in jail, release them too.’
Mufti’s answer to the question of the new Kashmir is, ‘You will not believe that there will be many women who cry on camera, and say… the police has taken them away… and UAPA has been imposed on them… they have been in jail for how many years…
Shehla Rashid, who was active in Jammu and Kashmir politics for a few days after JNU student politics, was talking about a change in the situation in the state a few days ago, but Iltija Mufti does not believe so at all.
Iltija Mufti says, shops are open here… children are completing school, but this is not normality… because if there was no pain in the people, Engineer Rashid would not have won, who won by 2 lakh votes… what sentiments does he talk about… freedom sentiment, referendum sentiment… so this is his victory… this is the biggest defeat of the Delhi government.
But when it is told that Engineer Rashid has won because parties like PDP have become disconnected from the people, then it will be considered that parties like PDP have lost. Because Engineer Rashid has not defeated any random person but National Conference leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. That too while being in jail and by a margin of two lakh votes.
Why are Kashmiri leaders upset with the release of Engineer Rashid
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah has directly alleged that Engineer Rashid has been released by the BJP. His argument is that because they want Muslims to be divided here… BJP is with Rashid in this.
He also adds that the terrorists who were released during the hijacking of Indian Airlines C814 are the ones who are spreading terrorism today. He says, I had said at that time too… do not release the terrorists, but they did not listen… we are seeing its result today… let’s see what will happen next?
Farooq Abdullah’s son and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said on Engineer Rashid getting interim bail, ‘I knew… this will happen.’ And also told that Mehbooba Mufti has openly said that Engineer Rashid is working at the behest of BJP.
In 2016, Engineer Rashid was arrested under UAPA on charges of terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir, whose name came to light when the NIA started investigating a case related to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali. Zahoor Watali was arrested on charges of funding terrorist groups and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. Engineer Rashid was also released to take oath as an MP before getting interim bail in the terror funding case from Delhi’s Patiala House Court.
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