Engineer Rashid’s AIP is BJP’s proxy: Mehbooba Mufti

Anantnag, Sep 09: Former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti Monday accused Awami Itehaad Party (AIP) of being the proxy of the BJP.

“I want to ask the government if it has fielded Engineer Rashid Sahab’s party as a proxy by helping it financially and through other means. It should have told other parties straightaway not to contest the elections,” Mufti said.

She was addressing a news conference in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Her remarks came a day after a scuffle broke out between the PDP and the AIP workers in Balpora village of Shopian, which left several PDP activists including its candidate Yawar Banday from Shopian assembly constituency injured.

“Their leader is in jail. I don’t understand how they arrange so many resources to field candidates from everywhere. It took Mufti Sahab 50 years to float his party and still, we don't have so much resources to field candidates from every constituency,” Mufti said.

She said that when BJP’s other proxies failed in parliament elections, it backed Engineer Rashid-led AIP.

“People should think from where they arrange so many vehicles,” Mufti said.

She said that her party candidate was battling for life at SMHS, Srinagar, after being attacked by the AIP “hooligans”.

“I want to ask this government why no action has been taken against AIP hooligans. If any PDP worker had restored to such an action, the entire party would have been in jail by now,” Mufti said.

She warned the people not to come under the influence of proxy parties.

“Such parties are backed by a strong power that wants to fragment votes in Kashmir,” Mufti said.

She said that candidates in the form of independents and AIP received funding from somewhere and enjoyed the full protection of the government.

Mufti said that the PDP was particularly their target as it was the only party that stood by the people of Jammu and Kashmir over the last five years.

“It is the only party that stood by the people who are in jail. It raised its voice against the decision taken on August 5, 2019,” she said.

Mufti said that she wanted to inform people, particularly the people of Kashmir, that there were only three parties - PDP, NC, and Congress.

“All other parties are proxies,” she said.