NIA Allows Jailed Kashmiri Leader Engineer Rashid To Take Oath As MP (image-twitter/zoo_bear)
The anti-terror agency has granted permission for the jailed Kashmiri leader Engineer Abdul Rashid Sheikh to take oath as the MP on July 5. The matter now will be taken into account by the Delhi court.
The Patiala House Court in Delhi will issue an order on this matter on July 2. Engineer Rashid could not take oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24 despite his name being called since he has been jailed since 2019. Rashid was charged by the NIA in a terror-funding case.
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Rashid defeated former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah to win the Lok Sabha election from the Baramulla constituency as an independent candidate. Despite his detention, he managed to secure a remarkable win by a margin of over 2 lakh votes.
On Monday, the NIA’s counsel said Rashid’s oath-taking ceremony be subject to some conditions including not speaking to the media. Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta on Saturday mandated the NIA to respond to Mr Rashid’s application for interim bail to facilitate his oath-taking.
Currently, he is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail. After his arrest, he became the first recognized leader to be held under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, representing Mr Rashid, argued that his client’s electoral victory signifies the strong democratic mandate given by the people of Baramulla. “He won with a vast majority. People love him and want him to fight for their rights in Parliament democratically,” Mr Oberoi stated.
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Another jailed MP-elect Amritpal Singh, a radical preacher, could not take oath as a member of Parliament as he is in jail in Assam, detained under the National Security Act.
