Ahead of Assembly Polls In J&K, Engineer Rashid Released From Jail

Jammu and Kashmir MP Sheikh Abdullah Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has been granted bail to campaign for the assembly election in the Union Territory. Since 2019. Engineer Rashid had been in Delhi's Tihar jail, from where he was released today. He was jailed in connection with a terror-funding case dating back to 2017 and was granted bail by a Delhi court.

"I am committed to fighting for my people. I am coming back to unite people and not divide them... I will fight the prime minister's narrative of Naya Kashmir," Mr Rashid told reporters outside Tihar. "I want to bring everlasting peace to Kashmir and prove that Kashmiris are not stone pelters. But we will not compromise with our political rights," he added.

Engineer Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party is among the several amaller local parties in fray for the three-phase assembly elections that will begin next month. His release today was in line with the Supreme Court's bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

Engineer Rashid had contested in the general elections held earlier this year from jail and beat former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to win the Baramulla seat.

Now, Mr Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti have both spoken out against him, linking him to the BJP.

While Mr Abdullah has been circumspect, saying the BJP is planning to strike a deal with Independents and smaller political outfits after the election, Ms Mufti has directly accused the Awami Ittehad Party of being a BJP proxy.

Ms Mufti said while Mr Rashid's victory from jail is understandable, it is unclear is how he is funding his party and bringing it to prominence with multiple candidates in this election. It had taken her father -- former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed -- around 50 years to do so, she had pointed out

"I want to ask the government -- if you have again come up a proxy party, Engineer Rashid's party, when all your other proxy parties have failed, you have brought Engineer Rashid's party to the fore, and you are supporting them fully with funds and everything, then tell us clearly that others parties do not have to contest elections," she said.

On Tuesday, Mr Abdullah said Engineer Rashid has been granted bail to fetch votes from the people of Kashmir and not to serve them.

Elections will be held in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after a decade on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8.