Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah terms Baramullah MP Engineer Rashid ‘agent’ of BJP’

Anantnag: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah termed the Baramullah MP Engineer Rashid as an “agent” of the BJP a day after he walked out of Tihar Jail on interim bail.

The bail was granted by Delhi’s special NIA court on Tuesday to allow Rashid to campaign for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. He has to surrender on October 3.

The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting will take place on October 8. On whether the Jammu and Kashmir Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid’s release will have any bearing on the pre-poll alliance of the National Conference and Congress, he said, “I have put my trust on God and the people. He is their agent. Everyone knows it.”

The National Conference President reiterated that they will restore Article 370 and Article 35A, one among several poll promises in their election manifesto.

“How many years BJP took to abrogate it (Article 370)? By God willing, we will also restore it. It (Article 370) is the heartbeat of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 and 35 A will be restored,” Farooq told reporters. The remarks came while addressing a public rally in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.

On Union Home Minister Amit Shah accusing the National Conference of promoting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah said, “Bombs were hurled at my home... Where were they when we fought the 1996 assembly elections? They were sitting at home when our people were losing their lives. Where was Amit Shah Sahib?”

These are the first assembly polls to be held Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. There are a total number of 90 Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs. According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors.

In the previous Assembly elections, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 28 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 25, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) won 15, and the Congress won 12. (ANI)

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