Offers INDIA alliance support for Article 370 restoration

Srinagar, Sep 12: Member of Parliament and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief, Engineer Rashid Thursday said that he would give support to the INDIA alliance if it guarantees the introduction of a resolution in the Parliament for the restoration of Article 370,

“If the INDIA alliance gives me a written assurance that they will introduce a resolution in the Parliament for the restoration of Article 370, I and my party leaders will offer full support,” he told a news conference here.

He called upon the people of Jammu and Kashmir to grant his party at least 40 seats in the upcoming elections, presenting himself as a leader who could bring about transformative change.

Rashid promised to stage an unprecedented protest outside the PM’s residence in New Delhi if his party is given a strong mandate.

“If we get a powerful mandate, we will stage a sit-in outside the PM’s residence in Delhi. And what will we do there? We will do something unimaginable for the people of Kashmir,” he said. “I am neither a Pakistani agent nor an enemy of India.”

The release of Rashid on interim bail after spending more than five years in Tihar Jail on terror funding charges has added a fresh dynamic to the political discourse in Kashmir.

His return to the political arena comes at a time when the National Conference (NC), Congress, and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are trying to strengthen their positions ahead of the elections.

In a sharp critique of NC Vice President Omar Abdullah, Rashid questioned the NC’s past performance while in power.

“The NC has issued a detailed manifesto now, but why couldn’t they do the same when they were in power?” Rashid asked, pointing out the gap between the party’s current promises and its past governance.

Rashid also targeted the PDP, accusing it of facilitating the BJP’s entry into Kashmir.

“It was Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who told the people that voting for PDP was necessary to keep BJP out of Kashmir. What happened next? It was the same PDP that gave the BJP a launching pad in Kashmir, only for them to bulldoze our dreams,” he said.

About the issue of Muhammad Afzal Guru’s execution, Rashid said that it could not have taken place without the signature of the then chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, a veiled reference to Omar Abdullah.

He contrasted his own time in Tihar Jail with the brief detentions of other political leaders, taking a dig at his rivals saying, “There’s a big difference between staying in Tihar Jail and spending a short time at the cosy SKICC.”

Rashid also signalled his readiness to align with other political parties like the NC, Congress, or PDP, but only if they present a clear plan for restoring Article 370.

“Let them show me a concrete roadmap about how they will restore Article 370, and then we can talk,” he said.