Engineer Rashid’s first words after leaving Tihar jail: 'I'm a victim, not a proxy of...'

Engineer Rashid

In his first reaction after being granted bail and released from Tihar jail, Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, dismissed allegations of being a proxy for the BJP.

He questioned: “How can a man who has been the victim of the BJP’s politics be its proxy?”

Rashid, who heads the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), was released to participate in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election campaign, a move that has unsettled mainstream parties in the Valley.

The day after his interim bail was granted, Rashid targeted both the BJP and National Conference (NC). "I have a message to the BJP that we have no fight with you but do not sacrifice Kashmiris for your political agenda. I also have a question for INDIA bloc they are not clear on their stance. Modi ji hits upfront while INDIA (bloc) hits from behind. They weakened Article 370, Modi buried its body," he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Identifying himself as a proud Islamist, Rashid distanced himself from radicalism, asserting, "No Islamist can be radical. I love the people of India and believe in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'." Speaking about the Kashmiri detainees, including separatist figures such as Asiya Andrabi, Rashid expressed "deep concern" for their treatment. "They are our Sita. If you want to bring hearts closer, is it right to imprison our Kashmiri daughters?" he questioned.

Addressing the press conference, Rashid urged the Centre not to view Kashmiris as enemies or label them as Pakistanis, asking instead for humane treatment. “You never listen to Kashmiris… Why are you afraid of speaking to us?” he said, adding, “Daro mat, darao mat (Don’t be scared, and don’t scare us).”

The MP further said that his party’s goal was not to form a government but to bring “the fight from Kashmir to Delhi.”

In his closing remarks, Rashid extended solidarity with Kashmiri Pandits. Pledging to protect them, he said, “Kashmir is theirs as much as it is ours.”, acknowledging their struggles in returning to their homeland.

Rashid has said that his Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) intends to contest between 35 and 40 seats in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections without forming coalitions with any political party, stating, "I will only align with my inner self." He condemned both the BJP's nationalism and the INDIA bloc's secularism as disingenuous constructs used to tarnish the genuine ideals of both concepts.

Reacting to Rashid’s comments, J&K election in-charge Ram Madhav took to social media, writing, “This rank separatist, in jail for the last 5 years under UAPA for indulging in anti-India activities, is out on bail to further vitiate Valley politics. Look at (the) language… anti-Modi rants, restoring Art 370, freeing terrorists from jails…”