Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 27: President of the Awami Itehad Party and Member of Parliament for Baramulla, Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid, today urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to disclose details of his recent meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other leaders during his visit to New Delhi.
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Addressing a press conference ahead of his bail hearing scheduled for tomorrow at Patiala House Court in New Delhi, Rashid said the people have the right to know what transpired in those meetings.
“You recently met the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the Home Minister, Amit Shah, along with other leaders. It is your moral duty to inform the people about the issues you discussed and what their responses were. There should be no discussions behind closed doors. At the very least, tell us whether you raised Article 370, Article 35A, and statehood-and what their responses were. We demand full-fledged statehood, not a diluted version that the BJP wants for the region,” he said.
Rashid also referred to Omar’s previous comments on the plight of political prisoners. “You mentioned during the elections that many people, including myself, are in jail. I want to humbly remind you that people are keen to know if you discussed the release of political prisoners, youth, and our daughters languishing in Tihar and other jails. If you did raise the issue, what was their response? If it was positive, when can we expect their release? And if it was negative, what is your next step?” he asked.
Speaking about the promises made by Omar, Rashid emphasized that the government must not lose sight of its commitments. “Now that you are running the Government, do not forget the promises you made. Whether it is 200 units of free electricity, Article 370 and 35A, the Kashmir issue, or the employment of 1 lakh people, I hope you will deliver on these pledges. Our party will support any good work done for the people,” he said.
When asked whether he was optimistic about receiving permanent bail, Rashid said his conscience is clear. “I have done nothing wrong, and I am hopeful that the court will grant me permanent bail. Regardless of the outcome, I will continue to raise my voice for Kashmiris-whether I am in Srinagar, Langate, Delhi, or Tihar. No power in the world can break Engineer Rashid. We are committed to raising political, economic, and human rights issues through peaceful means,” he said.
Rashid added that if he is denied bail, he will continue to address public issues from jail. “There is a provision for limited correspondence from prison, and I assure the people that my team will remain in touch. If I ever feel I am unable to do justice to my responsibilities, I will not hesitate to make necessary decisions,” he said.
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