‘Omar’s frustration is showing…wait for results, expect big change…poll outcome will make Delhi listen to Kashmir’

Two phases over, elections in J&K are down to the wire as campaigning picks up pace for the third and final phase of voting on Oct 1 to 40 seats. Throughout, the ‘X’ factor has been Sheikh Abdul Rashid aka Engineer Rashid, who defeated Omar Abdullah to win Baramulla LS seat from behind bars in Delhi’s Tihar jail. His party Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) has an alliance with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), which is participating in the elections via Independents. Notwithstanding consistent berating from rivals NC and PDP that he is a BJP ‘pawn’ whose sole aim is to divide votes, Rashid has remained confident about his candidates’ poll prospects, contesting on 34 seats, 33 in Kashmir and 1 in Jammu. On interim bail of 22 days to campaign, Rashid rubbished all allegations in conversation with Subodh Ghildiyal, and claimed Oct 8, results day, will see ‘big change’.Is an alliance with BJP possible? You’re accused of being a ‘BJP/Delhi pawn’.Why ask me this? They victimised me to the extent that I, despite being a two-time MLA, and MP, was branded a terrorist. So, I don’t even want to take their name (BJP). But if there is a possibility tomorrow that we have to discuss the resolution of the Kashmir issue...I am always ready to meet GOI. Nothing beyond that.I’ve been behind bars for five-and-a-half years, the only mainstream politician jailed. Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Sajjad Lone were treated as VVIP guests in five-star hotels, and they’re calling me a pawn of Delhi. I don’t want to belittle myself by responding. Omar lost in Baramulla and I won by 2L votes from jail. It is his frustration that is speaking. When Kejriwal got bail, Omar had no problem and welcomed it. But when I, his fellow Kashmiri, got bail he felt hurt.You tout your LS victory. But rivals say it was a sympathy vote.It was no sympathy vote that won me the seat. If I weren’t in jail, I would have won by 4L votes. I won because of my model of governance in my seat as legislator. That helped me.What’s the impact of the charge that you’re a BJP proxy?It will help me, because people know everything. Yeh jo public hai, sab jaanti hai. I repeat I’m the one in jail for over five years and traitors, puppets, rubber stamps of New Delhi are accusing me. People know better. I don’t want to belittle myself by responding to their accusations.Trend in J&K has been BJP sweeps Jammu region, and a Kashmir party joins hands. How will it unfold this time?The future is bright because I know how to bargain for my people. My aim is that the Kashmir issue should move out of the mess. For me, who forms govt etc, these are petty things…let’s wait for Oct 8, I’m in no hurry.What’ll happen if you win a few seats?Why just a few seats? Expect a big change. GOI will have to come and resolve our Kashmir issues, listen to our pain and sufferings, and people of India will know that Kashmir is not about Sheikhs and Muftis, but is beyond that.You have a strategic alliance with the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami.You should welcome Jamaat’s entry into politics, it wants reconciliation and all those who want peace should welcome it. We should get a political resolution because it’s a political problem. We are not radicals. We want peaceful resolution and we want a violence-free Kashmir. Jamaat has contributed a lot in education and social sector. If GOI can speak to militants in the Northeast, why should anyone raise questions if JeI wants to join politics?Are you a future CM candidate?Not at all. For me, these are small things, not big issues.Regular bail can help you attend Parliament. What’s happening on that front?Of course I want permanent bail. I want to be exonerated. I cannot discuss merits of the case. But my question to fellow parliamentarians and India’s intellectual class is that if a man has won from jail, that too from a sensitive place like Kashmir, why is nobody speaking for me in Parliament? Are they afraid of me?I will speak facts in Parliament, let them allow me to speak in Parliament. I’m sure I’ll be in Parliament in the near future. But even if I’m not, I will represent the sentiments of my people while behind bars. Because, the world knows why I am in jail.