As he arrived in Srinagar on Thursday morning, Engineer Rashid, the parliamentarian and leader of the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), showed his gratitude for returning to his homeland by bowing to the ground.
The MP for north Kashmir then proceeded to Baramulla, where thousands of his supporters, primarily young people, eagerly awaited his arrival and address. True to form, Rashid delivered his speech amid enthusiastic cheers and loud slogans from the crowd, which often drowned out his words. He had to repeatedly urge his supporters to remain calm to ensure his message could be heard.
Rashid began by expressing his appreciation to the people of north Kashmir for their overwhelming support in the recent Lok Sabha elections, held earlier this year while he was imprisoned.
He called for an end to the imprisonment of Kashmiris in Tihar Jail and urged the central government to resolve the Kashmir issue once and for all. “Stop sending us to Tihar, resolve Kashmir’s issue,” he declared, as his supporters echoed his call.
He asserted that the vote he received in the Lok Sabha elections was not a personal endorsement but a rejection of the ‘Naya Kashmir’ model promoted by the Narendra Modi-led central government, particularly the decisions of August 5, 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was revoked and the state was restructured into two separate Union Territories.
According to Rashid, Modi’s ‘Naya Kashmir’ represents UAPA, injustice, and oppression. “The vote for me was a vote against Modi’s ‘Naya Kashmir’, against his decisions of August 5, 2019,” he said.
Rashid also criticised PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and her late father, accusing them of betrayal greater than that of Sheikh Abdullah. He claimed that their actions paved the way for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to gain influence in J&K. He suggested that if Mehbooba had any integrity, she would apologise for allying with the BJP after they had ended the government.
He further stated that if Mehbooba and Omar Abdullah could present a clear plan to restore Kashmir’s former status, he would instruct all his candidates to withdraw their forms.
On the topic of Omar Abdullah, vice president of the JKNC, Rashid remarked that Abdullah’s act of removing his skull cap to seek votes was unnecessary if he had addressed the concerns of Kashmiris following the August 5, 2019 decisions.
Rashid concluded his speech by requesting his supporters not to welcome him or his party members with garlands, urging them instead to show humility.
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