AIP would support INDIA alliance if they commit to restoring Article 370: Er Rashid 

Srinagar, Sep 12: Member of Parliament from North Kashmir Er Rashid Thursday said that his party, the Awami Itihad Party (AIP), would do “unimaginable” for the people of J&K if they manage to secure 40 seats in the upcoming assembly elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, just a day after his release from jail on court orders, Rashid thanked the people of Kashmir for their overwhelming support.

“I am deeply grateful to the people for sending me to Parliament. If we win 40 seats, I promise we will do something unimaginable for the people of Kashmir,” he stated.
Rashid directed harsh criticism at the BJP for the abrogation of Article 370 and held the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC) equally responsible for the ongoing hardships in Kashmir. “In August 2019, I was sent to Tihar Jail, while Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were treated like guests in hotels,” he commented.
He further criticized NC vice president Omar Abdullah, questioning why the NC did not act on the promises made in its current manifesto when it was in power. “How could New Delhi have executed Muhammad Afzal Guru in Tihar without the signature of the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir? It’s easy to point fingers at me, but spending over five years in Tihar is no small matter. There’s a huge difference between being in Tihar and staying at the comfortable SKICC,” Rashid said.
Currently on interim bail until October 2, Rashid claimed that if given a strong mandate by the people, he would lead a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in Delhi. “You might ask, what will we do there? We will do something unimaginable for the people of Kashmir,” he said.
Rashid also declared that AIP would fully support the INDIA alliance if they commit to restoring Article 370 in Parliament.
“If the INDIA alliance gives me written assurance that they will introduce a resolution in Parliament to restore Article 370, my party and I will fully support them,” Rashid stated.
He strongly denied accusations of being a Pakistani agent or an enemy of India.
In a remark at PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, Rashid recalled how PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed once claimed that a vote for PDP was necessary to keep the BJP out of Jammu and Kashmir. “And yet, it was PDP that provided the BJP with a launching pad, ultimately crushing our hopes,” Rashid accused.
He reiterated that his battle was against Prime MinMinister Modi’s “Naya Kashmir” narrative, which he claimed had utterly failed. “The people of North Kashmir made it clear on June 4 that Modi’s narrative holds no weight here,” Rashid stated.