Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi has expressed dismay at the reactions of several Indian political leaders to the election of an Indian-origin senator in the United States, questioning their silence over the prolonged incarceration of Baramulla MP Er Rashid.
Referring to reactions from AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ashutosh Verma and others, Inam said it was striking to see such enthusiasm over a development in the United States while an elected MP from Jammu and Kashmir remains behind bars without comparable political solidarity.
“Whether it is Owaisi, Rajput, Ashutosh Verma or others, everyone seems eager to comment on and celebrate the election of an Indian-origin Muslim Senator in America. But where were these voices when Er Rashid, an elected representative of the people of Baramulla, remained incarcerated in Tihar Jail for years? How many of them raised their voice for his freedom or stood up for the democratic mandate of his constituency?” he asked.
Inam said there was nothing wrong with acknowledging the achievement of an Indian-origin politician abroad, but questioned the selective nature of political solidarity. “Democracy cannot be a matter of convenience. If the election of an Indian-origin senator thousands of miles away deserves political attention and celebration, the continued incarceration of an elected MP in our own country should deserve at least equal concern. The democratic rights of people in Kashmir cannot be less important than political developments elsewhere,” he said.
He noted that the people of Baramulla Parliamentary Constituency elected Er Rashid through the democratic process, yet the leaders now reacting enthusiastically to events abroad had largely failed to show similar commitment to his release. “Political leaders must answer whether their concern for democratic representation is universal or limited by geography, political convenience and electoral calculations,” Inam added.
The AIP reiterated that the democratic mandate of Baramulla must be respected and that Er Rashid’s prolonged incarceration deserves consistent political attention rather than selective expressions of solidarity.
The statement is the latest in a series of AIP appeals on the MP’s custody. On Tuesday, Inam had questioned the silence of regional political parties on the issue. By widening the target to national leaders, the party is seeking to place the matter before a broader audience and to challenge leaders who regularly speak on questions of minority representation and democratic rights.
The statement did not name the senator concerned, and the leaders mentioned had not responded to it in the information available. Er Rashid’s legal case is pending, and the AIP has framed its demand in political rather than legal terms, asking for consistent attention to the matter from across the spectrum.
