Riyaz ul Khaliq

SRINAGAR

Er Sheikh Abdul Rasheed addressing media personnel (not in picture) in this KL file Image.
Er Sheikh Abdul Rasheed in this KL file Image.

As the 2016-17 Budget Session of J&K legislative Assembly cam to end on Thursday, firebrand Langate Lawmaker, Engineer Rasheed had last advisory for right wing BJP legislators.

Seeking patience from Speaker Kavinder Gupta while he spoke, the Independent Lawmaker talked about involving Pakistan to “establish” peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

“PDP needs to remember its Self Rule,” he told house, “it has been campaigning for making borders irrelevant but this cannot go hand in hand with BJP’s demand of bombing PaK.”

Rasheed asked Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti to take steps for interaction between divided Kashmir. “Let us have cross Kashmir interaction between Legislators, it will help us understand each other,” he suggested.

Claiming that credibility of CM was “at stake”, he told Ms Mehbooba Mufti, “you can’t run every time. You had promised us that report on Handwara killings will be presented but you did not.” “Ok, you did not table the report; those who lost their lives can’t come back.”

“Speaker and government have unfortunately tried to represent Delhi in Kashmir rather representing and protecting rights of people of state,” he told the house.

Maintaining that Kashmir issue continues to consume innocent lives, he said, “even if Hurriyat Conference is given a chance to form government, people will continue to be killed because this assembly has become graveyard of sentiments and wishes of sentiments of majority community.”

Asking BJP not to fear any debate on Article 370 or plebiscite, he said, “if this house is powerful one, why should we run away from discussing these things. Let us debate and see who wins.”

Asking BJP members to have patience to listen to him, he said, “we need to talk and have as many interactions.” “This will bring us to some meeting point,” he told the right wing party.

Inviting BJP Lawmakers to visit his Langate, he said, “come with me, I will take you to Sopore, Palhallan. I will make you meet people from Geelani group.”

“By having dialogue, we can bridge gaps and come together,” he told the BJP members, “bombing and wars won’t help us.”

“I have no right to doubt your political wisdom but one fails to understand why you are afraid of even talking to kids and young men? Let you debate with those youngsters, whom you call stone palters and anti-nationals,” he said. “Kashmir can’t be controlled by AFSPA, PSA, threats, bullets and broken promises but the only way to resolve issues and ensure peace is doing justice to the people.”

“I am not agent of anyone but I am agent of my conscience and my people,” he told the House. “Come with me, meet and talk to my people and if you have argument, convince them or get convinced,” he said addressing BJP men.

Invoking Pampore attack in which eight 8 CRPF men were killed, Rasheed expressed surprise that while everybody should be worried over loss of lives under all circumstances, but the House has “brought its own credibility under clout of doubt by not doing justice to even a single Kashmiri who got killed at the hands of forces”.

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