Engineer Rashid slams J-K LG for suggesting stricter laws to prevent Jamaat-e-Islami from fighting polls

Srinagar: Lok Sabha member Sheikh Abdul Rashid on Wednesday hit out at Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's call for stricter laws to prevent organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami from participating in elections.

Rashid said unlike the BJP which has "spilt Muslim blood" and divided India along communal lines to further its agenda, the Jamaat-e-Islami was just seeking a resolution of political issues in Jammu and Kashmir.

"If the (Lieutenant) Governor had his way, he would throw all of Kashmir into the Jhelum River. What kind of democracy is this? What has Jamaat-e-Islami done? What is their fault? This is an organisation that has done a lot of work in the social, moral, and educational sectors in Kashmir," Rashid told PTI.

In an interview with a private news channel, Sinha had called for stricter laws to prevent organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami from contesting polls.

The Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, said there might be some disagreement with the policies of Jamaat-e-Islami but it has not divided or killed people to spread communal hatred like the BJP.

"We may have some disagreements with their policies, but I didn't like hearing such things from him (LG). When the BJP, with its highly communal agenda, has cut Muslims in the name of cow, spilt Muslim blood over food and drink, and divided all of India along communal lines, what lessons can they teach us? "Jamaat-e-Islami has done nothing wrong. If they say they want to contest elections or seek a resolution of political issues, it is not a sin," the Lok Sabha member said.

As polling in the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections began on Wednesday morning, Rashid hoped that the people would vote against the "enemies of Kashmir who since 1947 have continuously deceived them, made false promises, and diluted the legitimate struggle for their rights".

"They promoted corruption nepotism misgovernance and VIP culture and put the issue of Kashmir on the back burner. Their wrong policies have caused piles of dead bodies," he said referring to the National Conference and the PDP.

He said Kashmir must bring about a change, which will end the dominance of traditional political parties.

"I have no fight with these families (Abdullahs and Muftis). If they had done good work, perhaps a common person like me would not feel the need to enter politics. A hope has arisen, as you may have seen thousands of people joining us at their own expense. They don't come to see my face, they come to see if a credible alternative is truly emerging," he said.

Rashid said Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti will not be seen in South Kashmir from Thursday onwards once the polls are over.

"If I do not go back to Tihar jail, I will live among the people here and fight for them. God forbid, if our candidate does not win, I should not hear taunts when I go to Tihar jail that Kashmiris were not with me, but with the Mufti and the Sheikh families," he said.