NEW DELHI, Sept 11: Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid walked out of Tihar Jail on Wednesday on interim bail till October 2 for campaigning in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls and vowed to fight Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Naya Kashmir narrative”.
Talking to reporters outside the jail, he also attacked National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for “destroying” Kashmir and said he would continue to fight for the people of the region.
Targeting Omar Abdullah, whom Rashid defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Baramulla MP said he was “literally dying in Tihar for five-and-a-half years” while the NC leader was “hiding in London”.
As Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, stepped out of the prison, he was welcomed by his sons and supporters. “He was released from jail at 4.15 pm,” a senior prison official said.
He has been in jail since 2019 following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case.
Rashid’s outfit Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) is contesting the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections to be held in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1. The results will be declared on October 8.
“I feel stronger coming out of jail after five-and-a-half years. I am proud of my people. I pledge that I will not let down my people… I am committed to fighting for them. I will unite the people and not divide them,” he told reporters outside Tihar Jail.
Rashid said he wants to bring everlasting peace to Kashmir and prove that Kashmiris are not stone pelters. But they will not compromise with their political rights, he said.
Slamming Prime Minister Modi, Rashid said, “I pledge to fight against Modi’s narrative of Naya Kashmir which has miserably failed in Jammu and Kashmir. People have rejected his narrative.”
On Tuesday, after a court here granted interim bail to Rashid, NC leader Omar Abdullah said the Baramulla has been given bail to fetch votes from the people of Kashmir and not to serve them.
Hitting back, the AIP leader said, “My fight is much bigger than what Omar Abdullah says. I was literally dying in Tihar Jail for five-and-a-half years and he was hiding in London. His fight is for the chair, mine is for the people of Kashmir.”
About his party contesting the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, Rashid said they have nothing to do with the opposition INDIA bloc or the ruling NDA. “I am fighting alone”.
Rashid also attacked People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, saying “The damage caused by madam and her father to Kashmir… I would like to say that the biggest traitors of Kashmir are Farooq Abdulah and Omar Abdullah… and Mehbooba Mufti is carrying forward their legacy. They have destroyed Kashmir.”
On Wednesday, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh ordered Rashid’s release on interim bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and a surety of the like amount. He also imposed certain conditions on him, including that he would not speak to the media about the case. (Agencies)
