AIP moves court to allow jailed leader Engineer Rashid to attend Lok Sabha session

The Awami Ittehaad Party (AIP) has moved New Delhi's Patiala house court for permission for its jailed leader, Engineer Rashid,  to attend the upcoming Parliament session.

Rashid is a Member of Parliament representing the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency. He contested the election from jail and defeated Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Sajad Lone of the People’s Conference.

Rashid was arrested by the NIA for alleged terror funding in 2019. Since then, he has been in Tihar jail. He was allowed to attend the last Parliament session by the court, but was restricted from speaking to the media.

However, he was briefly released from jail last year to campaign for his party in the assembly elections. But AIP failed to make an impression due to allegations that Rashid has been set free to fragment the vote in Kashmir to help the BJP emerge dominant. He was allowed to attend the last Parliament after he went on a hunger strike for several days.

This time around, his party has filed a formal application in Patiala House Court, New Delhi, requesting permission to attend the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Lok Sabha, beginning on July 21.

The application was submitted by Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, legal counsel for Engineer Rashid, and the matter is listed for hearing on July 15, AIP’s chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, said in a press statement.

“Engineer Rashid is a duly elected representative of the people of Baramulla. Denying him the right to participate in parliamentary proceedings not only disenfranchises the electorate but also undermines the very spirit of democracy," said AIP  spokesperson Inam-un-Nabi

“Attending Parliament is not a privilege, it is his constitutional duty,” he added. 

 Inam-un-Nabi also mentioned that AIP is hopeful the court will uphold democratic principles and allow Engineer Rashid to carry out his responsibilities as a public representative.

India