E-Paper
Out on bail, Engineer Rashid vows to fight against PM Modi's ‘Naya Kashmir narrative’
Engineer Rashid walked out of Tihar Jail on Wednesday, a day after a Delhi court granted him interim bail till October 2 in a terror funding case.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, walked out of Tihar Jail on Wednesday after being granted interim bail by a Delhi court. Rashid, who was arrested in 2019 in connection with a terror funding case, received temporary reprieve to campaign in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, scheduled to begin later this month.
Upon his release, Rashid pledged to continue his political fight, focusing on what he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s failed narrative of "Naya Kashmir."
"I will not let down my people. I take a pledge that I will fight PM Modi's narrative of 'Naya Kashmir,' which has totally failed. People have rejected whatever he did on August 5, 2019," Rashid said, referring to the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370.
Rashid, who defeated former chief minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, said his fight was for the people, not for power.
"My fight is bigger than what Omar Abdullah says. His fight is for the chair, my fight is for the people," he declared.
He also accused the BJP of using oppressive tactics against him, saying, "I am a victim of BJP, and I will fight against PM Modi's ideology till my last breath."
J&K leaders sceptic of timing
The National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah had earlier alleged that the interim bail was not granted to serve the people but to fetch votes.
"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.
Engineer Rashid’s brother fielded from Langate as AIP lists nine more picks
Rashid's party, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), is contesting the assembly elections, which will be held in three phases starting on September 18. His release comes with conditions, including a bond of ₹2 lakh, a surety, and a prohibition on discussing the ongoing terror funding case with the media.
The Baramulla MP has been in custody since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged involvement in a 2017 terror funding case. The court deferred its decision on his regular bail plea to October 5, allowing Rashid to campaign temporarily.
Several political leaders have reacted to Rashid's release. Ghulam Nabi Azad, chief of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), welcomed the court's decision, describing it as a "step towards justice." However, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti accused Rashid of being a proxy for the BJP and lamented the disparity in the treatment of jailed individuals.
"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 Electio 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.
The elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which will be held in three phases from September 18 to October 1, are expected to be a major political battleground, with results set to be declared on October 8.
