The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chairman and MP Er Rashid on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on National Conference (NC), PDP and People's Conference by branding them the "root cause of all evil in Kashmir."
In an interview with ‘Brighter Kashmir, Rashid reserved his harshest criticism for Farooq Abdullah and held him responsible for the abrogation of Article 370.
"Farooq Abdullah knew the BJP's plans but chose to deceive the people. His assurances that Modi had promised to safeguard Article 370 were nothing but a lie,” he said.
The AIP leader contended that Abdullah's actions inadvertently provided a foothold for BJP in Kashmir. "His actions emboldened the BJP, allowing them to unleash their agenda on our state”.
Rashid also lashed out at the preferential treatment accorded to mainstream politicians at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) where they were lodged after their detention post Article 370 abrogation.
"The contrast between Tihar Jail and SKICC is stark," he observed. "While I languished in prison, these leaders enjoyed luxury and comfort. Nobody talked about me”.
When questioned about his party's electoral strategy, Rashid revealed that his incarceration prevented him from issuing tickets to candidates.
"My imprisonment restricted my ability to oversee the candidate selection process," he said.
Earlier Rashid casted his vote at a polling station in Langate in Kupwara district as part of the third and last phase of voting in the assembly elections.
“It is my prediction that NC and BJP will not desist from forming the next government in Jammu and Kashmir if they fell short of majority in J&K Assembly polls,” Rashid told reporters.
“There would be more bad things for the people of Jammu and Kashmir that would have to be seen by the NC-BJP government,” he said, adding for these power-hungry leaders there is nothing more important than to rule people.