Srinagar, Sep 12 (KNO): In his first public address after being released from Tihar Jail, Engineer Rashid, Member of Parliament and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) president, delivered a powerful speech to a massive gathering in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, asserting that the “voice of Kashmiris cannot be silenced through oppression”.
Addressing a huge crowd, Rashid, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said he wants to “make it clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the people of Kashmir know where their loyalties lie”.
“Today, it is evident that Engineer Rashid, along with Hurriyat leaders and the youth of Kashmir cannot be suppressed by jailing us," he said.
The AIP chief rejected claims that his election success was based on sympathy votes. “The votes were not cast out of pity but were instead a powerful rejection of the Indian government’s policies in Kashmir,” he said.
Criticising the central government’s approach to Kashmir, Er Rashid referred to PM Modi’s “Naya Kashmir” narrative as a “drama” and said it had failed to address the real concerns of the Kashmiri people. “It was not a ‘New Kashmir’; it was a Kashmir of oppression, misery and draconian laws like UAPA,” he remarked, adding that the people of Kashmir will not compromise their faith or dignity. “Kashmir wants peaceful resolution, not continued oppression,” he added.
The Baramulla MP also dismissed allegations made by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who had questioned AIP’s funding sources. “This gathering is a response to her accusations. AIP is not funded by external forces. Our supporters spend their own money to back our cause,” he asserted, as the crowd raised their hands in solidarity.
He said Mufti should have apologised to the people, as it was the PDP that facilitated the BJP’s entry into Kashmir.
In a direct message to Home Minister Amit Shah, Er Rashid refuted claims that the situation in Kashmir had improved. “Kashmiris are not stone-pelters by choice, but we will not be silenced by any tactic,” he warned, urging the government to engage in meaningful dialogue with the people of Kashmir.
He cautioned that if the Government of India continues to ignore the “genuine aspirations” of Kashmiris, there will be “serious repercussions”.
The AIP chief said he will not bow to the policies “imposed” on the region, adding that responding to the remarks made by Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti would be a “disservice to the sacrifices of the people”.
“AIP’s cause is far removed from the pursuit of power and that engaging in such political discourse would undermine the people's struggles,” he said—(KNO)