'Challenge accepted': Ram Madhav fires back at 'rank separatist' Engineer Rashid as J&K fight heats up

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir election in-charge Ram Madhav on Wednesday hit out at Baramulla Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid for his comment that he will defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of 'Naya Kashmir'. "This rank separatist, in jail for last 5 years under UAPA for indulging in anti-India activities, is out on bail to further vitiate Valley politics," Madhav said while responding to Rashid's first comment after walking out of jail.

Rashid has been granted an interim bail in a terror funding case. After he walked out of Delhi's Tihar Jail today, the Baramulla MP said that he has taken a pledge that he will fight PM Modi's narrative of 'Naya Kashmir', which he said has failed totally in J&K. 

"People have rejected whatever he did on 5th August 2019. I am committed to working for the welfare of my people. We are not going to get scared. My fight is bigger than what Omar Abdullah says. His fight is for the chair, my fight is for the people. I am a victim of BJP, I will fight against PM Modi's ideology till my last breath," Rashid said while speaking to reporters. 

Madhav blasted the separatist leader and said his language was no different from what Omar Abdullah or Mehabooba Mufti or even others like Sajjad Lone were saying. "Look at d language...anti-Modi rants, restoring Art 370, freeing terrorists from jails...no different from what Omar or Mehabooba or even others like Lone, of NC, PDP or PC - d Gupkar Gang - is saying. He wants to defeat Modi's dream of Naya Kashmir. We accept d challenge. Naya Kashmir's March will go on unrelenting.

Political temperature has soared in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the first phase of polling on September 18. Rashid had defeated former chief minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate. His outfit Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) is contesting the assembly elections. 

Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case. His name cropped up in the case during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir valley. 

The NIA had filed a charge sheet against several people, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in the case. Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

(With inputs from agencies)