New Delhi/Srinagar: Incarcerated Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, 57, has announced an indefinite hunger strike at Tihar Jail, protesting his denial of the right to represent his constituency in Parliament. The decision, declared on the eve of the Budget session, was conveyed to the Lok Sabha Speaker through a letter.
Arrested in August 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Rashid won the Lok Sabha elections last year but has been barred from attending Parliament sessions. His party, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), decried the move as unconstitutional.
AIP leader G.N. Shaheen stated, “Despite being an elected MP, Engineer Rashid is denied the right to attend Parliament. He will begin his hunger strike from January 31 at 10 a.m. in Tihar Jail. Party workers will also protest in Srinagar’s Pratap Park, Jammu, and Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.”
Shaheen emphasized Rashid’s constitutional mandate and urged the government to allow his parliamentary participation. AIP spokesperson Inam Un Nabi condemned the authorities’ actions as a “mockery of democracy,” urging respect for Rashid’s elected role.
