Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Awami Itihaad Party has questioned what it describes as contrasting treatment of political dissent in India, drawing attention to the short judicial custody of two CJP leaders while Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid remains jailed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The party pointed out that CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das have been remanded to five days of judicial custody over allegations that include trespass, breach of bond conditions and obstruction of public servants. By contrast, it said, Engineer Rashid is in the eighth year of his incarceration under UAPA, which the party says is linked to his representing the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said Engineer Rashid has never been accused in his UAPA case of trespassing into a protest site, breaching a peace bond or obstructing public servants. He added that no verified evidence has established that any call by Engineer Rashid caused the large financial losses being claimed in connection with the Delhi protests. “Why, then, is a Kashmiri MP facing years of incarceration while others face days of custody? This raises serious questions about proportionality, equal justice and the treatment of dissent,” he said.
Making clear that the party was not questioning the rights of the CJP leaders, Inam Un Nabi asked why the urgency shown in their case had not translated into comparable relief for Engineer Rashid. He also questioned the political priorities of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking why the prolonged incarceration of the MP had not prompted equally sustained political intervention.
The spokesperson further referred to the speed with which the judicial system can respond when a matter demands it. “The Supreme Court can convene on a Sunday when a matter demands urgency. Why has comparable urgency not been demonstrated in the case of Engineer Rashid, an elected MP entering his eighth year in jail? Does the right to liberty carry a different weight when the person concerned is from Kashmir?” he asked.
He added that prolonged incarceration must not become punishment before conviction. “When the system can act urgently for some, years of waiting for a Kashmiri MP raise an unavoidable question about equal justice. One Constitution cannot mean two standards,” he said.
The statement adds to a continuing political debate in Kashmir over the duration of Engineer Rashid’s detention and the pace of legal proceedings, a subject that has drawn sustained attention from his party and supporters. The claims and comparisons in the statement are those of the Awami Itihaad Party.
