Engineer Rashid
Sheikh Abdul Rashid | |
|---|---|
 Rashid speaking in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly | |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| Assumed office 4 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Akbar Lone |
| Constituency | Baramulla |
| Member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 25 December 2008 – 12 November 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Sharifuddin Shariq |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Constituency | Langate |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sheikh Abdul Rashid 19 August 1967 Mawar, Langate, Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Political party | Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party |
| Alma mater | Government Degree College, Sopore |
Sheikh Abdul Rashid, better known as Engineer Rashid, is a Kashmiri politician and a member of Lok Sabha representing Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is currently under bail after he was arrested on terror-funding charges.[1]
Earlier he was a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, from the Langate constituency in Handwara. He is the founder and patron of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party.[2][3]
Early life
[edit]Rashid was born c. 1967 in his hometown Langate.[4] He got involved with Kashmiri secessionist politics as a teenager, and joined the Abdul Ghani Lone-led People's Conference in 1978.[5] In 1987, the People's Conference was a leading member of the Muslim United Front which fought the 1987 election on an Islamist agenda.[5] The election saw widespread rigging, and is mentioned as a prime factor in the rise of Kashmir insurgency two years later.
Rashid obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1988, and a diploma in civil engineering two years later.[5][4] He worked for over a decade as an engineer in the state government-run Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation.[5][6][7][8] He is seen a simple man, dressed in Khan suit, taking public transportation and occasionally hitching rides on motor cycles.[7]
Political career
[edit]Rashid transitioned from a career in construction engineering to politics in 2008, winning the Langate constituency as an independent candidate in the 2008 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election and retained it in the 2014 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election.[9] Rashid subsequently established the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party. Despite facing imprisonment on terror-funding charges, he secured a significant victory over former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, underscoring his substantial grassroots support and political influence in the region.[10] Rashid defeated former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah in 2024 Lok Sabha election from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.[11][12][13]
Arrests
[edit]In the year 2005, Rashid was arrested by the SOG in Srinagar for supporting militants and subsequently jailed for three months and 17 days. A charge of anti-national activities was on him. He was kept in Cargo, Humhama and Raj bagh prisons. Later Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar dropped all charges against him on humanitarian grounds. According to Rashid he was arrested by motley group of counter-insurgents that worked closely with the State police and took him to an interrogation centre, where he was "interrogated." After five months of custody, he negotiated his release, paying up ₹1.14 lakhs.[14]
In Aug 2019, he was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on terror funding charges.[15][16] He contested the 2024 parliamentary election from jail and won. He remained in jail however and had no opportunity to attend the parliament.
On 11 September 2024, he was granted interim bail until 2 October, allowing him to campaign for the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election.[17][18]
Attacks
[edit]On 8 October 2015 Engineer Rashid was assaulted by BJP MLA's inside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly for hosting a party where he served beef on the lawns of the government circuit with a view to oppose the controversial central Government order banning the consumption of beef in India.[19]
He was also attacked with black ink in Press Club New Delhi by BJP cadets a day after his critical comments regarding the lynching of a Kashmiri truck driver in Udhampur.[20][21]
References
[edit]- ^ "Engineer Rashid Gets Interim Bail In Terror Funding Case To Campaign For J&K Polls, Omar Abdullah 'Knew This'". Times Now. 10 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ MLA Rashid launches new party, Hindustan Times, 12 June 2013.
- ^ "Engineer Rashid aka Abdul Rashid - Affidavit Information of Candidate". www.myneta.info. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ a b PTI, Baramulla: In jail since 2019, Engineer Rashid declares assets increased, liabilities reduced in five years, The Economic Times, 19 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Praveen Swami, Engineer Rashid’s election victory shows Kashmiri secessionism is far from spent, The Print, 5 June 2024.
- ^ "I'm the most misunderstood MLA in India: Engineer Rashid". The Hindu. 22 October 2015.
- ^ a b Ashutosh Sharma, Kashmir: The jailed victor, Engineer Rashid, Frontline, 4 June 2024.
- ^ Muzamil Jaleel, Army used citizens in J&K operations, says state police, The Indian Express, 21 May 2010. ProQuest 238393071
- ^ "How Langate's Engineer Rashid battled counter-insurgency to reduce police intervention in peoples' lives". timesofindia-economictimes. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ "Who is Engineer Rashid? Jailed J&K leader headed for win over Omar Abdullah". India Today. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "2024 Election Results for Jammu and Kashmir". Bru Times News.
- ^ "Jammu and Kashmir Election Results 2024 Highlights: National Conference, BJP win two seats each". The Hindu. 4 June 2024.
- ^ The Economic Times (6 June 2024). "Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Acid Test". 30 November 2014.
- ^ PTI, NIA arrests former J&K MLA Rashid Engineer in terror-funding case, Asian Age, 10 August 2019.
- ^ "I'm the most misunderstood MLA in India: Engineer Rashid". The Hindu. 22 October 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ "Must not speak to media: Delhi Court grants interim bail to Rashid Engineer ahead of Jammu and Kashmir elections". ANI News. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "Engineer Rashid released on interim bail, vows to fight 'PM Modi's narrative of Naya Kashmir'". mint. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ Shankar, Aranya (20 October 2017). "Ink attack on Jammu and Kashmir MLA Rashid Engineer over beef party". Indian Express. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
- ^ "Ink attack on Jammu & Kashmir MLA Engineer Rashid who had hosted a 'beef party' - The Times of India". The Times of India. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ^ "Ink Attack on J&K Lawmaker Engineer Rashid, Who Hosted 'Beef Party'". NDTV.com. Retrieved 27 October 2015.