Engineer Rashid Granted Bail To Fetch Votes From People Of Kashmir, Says Omar Abdullah

Jailed MP Engineer Rashid has been granted bail to fetch votes from the people of Kashmir, not serve them, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday.

Mr Abdullah's remarks came after Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, was granted interim bail in a terror funding case by a Delhi court.

"We were aware that it would happen. I feel regret for the people of Baramulla parliamentary constituency as this bail has not been granted to serve them or attend Parliament," Mr Abdullah told reporters.

"He has not been granted bail to work as a parliamentarian but to fetch votes here. After that, he will be taken back to Tihar (jail) and the people of north Kashmir will again be without a representative," he added.

Rashid defeated the former chief minister in Baramulla in the Lok Sabha elections. He was granted interim bail till October 2 to enable him to campaign in the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Abdullah, however, said it remained to be seen how the voters would respond to Rashid's interim bail and what its implications would be in the elections.

Asked about People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti describing Rashid's Awami Ittehad Party as a proxy for the BJP, Mr Abdullah said while he was being very cautious on the issue, "it is good that Mehbooba has stated openly what many people were thinking".

"She has clearly said that Engineer Rashid is working on the directions of the BJP," he added.

Mr Abdullah also noted that Mehbooba raised questions about the source of funds for Awami Ittehad Party candidates.

"Let's see if the Awami Ittehad Party can answer these queries. We will fight them and our appeal to the voters is not to split their votes as the BJP has been continuously conspiring" he said.

"The way the (Union) home minister (Amit Shah) said in a press conference that they (BJP) will form a government with the Awami Ittehad Party, People's Conference, and other parties, so, if people want to help the BJP form the next government, then let them support these parties," he added.

Mr Abdullah was also asked about jailed cleric Sarjan Barkati contesting against him from the Ganderbal seat, to which he replied, "There is something that jailed persons are going after me alone." "This is not something ordinary. I can understand it as a coincidence that Rashid contests against me once but then fielding a person on two seats -- had I announced my candidature from Budgam two days before I did, Barkati would have contested from Budgam as well -- they are making attempts but I am hopeful that their attempts will fail," he said.

Barkati has filed his nomination from the Beerwah constituency while the National Conference leader is contesting from the Ganderbal and the Budgam seats.

Cautioning the people against supporting Independent candidates, Mr Abdullah said voting for them was akin to voting for the BJP.

"If you want to keep the BJP out, then vote for the National Conference and its alliance partner," he added.

Asked about Congress leader and Banihal candidate Vikar Rassol Wani's tirade against Mr Abdullah and his party, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said, "The Banihal guy is a fool." "He has no control over his tongue, his own party has disassociated itself from his statement. I do not have an answer to why he is so frustrated and has no control over his tongue. At least the Congress noticed his statement and raised its voice against it. For us, the issue was settled there," Mr Abdullah said.

Mr Wani had said the National Conference flag was red because it was soaked in the blood of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The National Conference and the Congress, which have a pre-poll alliance, are involved in "friendly contests" in six seats, including Banihal.

Elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, and the votes counted on October 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)