Srinagar: As winning candidate from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat Abdul Rashid Sheikh, aka Er. Rashid, continues to remain incarcerated, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari Sunday flagged ‘disparity in treatment’ towards the Kashmir-based Member Parliament.
Taking to microblogging site ‘X’, the J&K Apni Party President SM Altaf Bukhari questioned as why was Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh released to take oath earlier this year and not Er. Rashid, who has received a huge public mandate.
“Why the disparity in treatment of two public representatives? Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh was released earlier this year to take oath as Rajya Sabha member and #ErRashid, despite getting a huge public mandate, isn’t being given any relief so far to take the oath as Member Parliament,” questioned Bukhari.
“When will this step-motherly treatment to Kashmiris be over and New Delhi start treating people of J&K at par with the rest of the country?,” Bukhari said.
“Leaving it to the conscience of GoI to see the different approaches when it comes to matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said further.
Pertinent to mention here that the Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Saturday deferred the verdict on the bail plea of Er. Rashid to July 1, 2024 after already adjourning the case on multiple occasions.
Rasheed has moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions.
The 56-year-old politician who remains incarcerated on accusations of militant funding under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for over five years now, emerged victorious on Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, which among others had notable political figures including JKNC’s Omar Abdullah, JKPC’s Sajjad Gani Lone and JKPDP’s Fayaz Ahmad Mir in fray.
Notably, the first Parliament session is scheduled to start from June 24 and conclude on July 3.