After creating a major electoral upset, independent MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh on Tuesday said his victory is an opportunity to revisit the policy of controlling J&K through “remote control devices” and emphasised that Kashmiris are neither enemies of India, nor “proxies of any other country”, apparently referring to Pakistan.
“Let the (Narendra) Modi government and everyone who matters understand the difference between the silence of the graveyard and real peace. The result is an opportunity to introspect and revisit the policy of controlling J&K through remote control devices and accept the ground realities.
“Let the people of India be assured that Kashmiris are not enemies of India nor are people proxies of any other country, but by creating false and fake narratives they are being portrayed as villains which is unacceptable,” Abdul Rashid Sheikh aka Engineer Rashid said.
Last week, jailed Engineer Rashid trounced National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference President Sajad Lone in the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat of Jammu and Kashmir. Engineer Rashid, who heads the Awami Ittehad Party, is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in a terror-funding case.
In his first message through his AIP spokesman after the victory, jailed leader Engineer thanked the masses.
“Thanking the masses of North Kashmir, jailed AIP leader Er Rasheed has called his victory a people’s victory and a referendum against all sorts of oppression against the people of J&K,” the party said.
“During his meeting with his lawyer Er Rasheed assured people of J&K that he would continue to represent the masses, who have been suffering at all fronts for decades,” he added.
Rashid cautioned Kashmiris against all those forces who need nothing but power, no matter what it may cost to the people of J&K.
He said AIP was committed to uniting Kashmiris and forget the bitterness with all its political rivals as the party wants to unite Kashmiris to take them out of a sense of defeat.
“Kashmiris deserve to be listened to at all levels by other stakeholders not as beggars but as citizens and main stakeholders of the J&K. Let us all forget our egos and understand that the sufferings and aspirations of Kashmiris are much bigger than our agendas,” he added.
