AIP says Er Rashid narrowly escaped fatal attack inside Tihar Jail

Srinagar, Sept 05: Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) on Friday raised concern over what it described as a “deliberate murderous plot” inside Delhi’s Tihar Jail, claiming that its incarcerated party chief, Er Rashid, narrowly escaped a fatal attack. According to AIP, Rashid, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Baramulls, during a recent legal meeting with his counsel Advocate Javeed Hubbi, disclosed that Tihar authorities had “devised new methods to harass Kashmiri prisoners.” Hubbi said Rashid revealed that male eunuchs were deliberately lodged with Kashmiri inmates and allegedly encouraged to provoke, attack, and create a hostile environment.The AIP chief told his lawyer that he narrowly survived when a group of such inmates pushed and threw a gate on him. “It was a miraculous escape. Had it hit directly, it could have been fatal. This is nothing short of a deliberate attempt to physically harm him,” Hubbi quoted Rashid as saying, according to a party statement. He further revealed that Kashmiri detainees, including Ayoub Pathan of Beerwah, Bilal Mir of Qamarwari, Amir Gojri of Srinagar, and Arshid Tanch of Kupwara, were also subjected to attacks and humiliation, Hubbi said. The AIP alleged that the harassment escalates whenever the prisoners begin Namaz (a Muslim prayer), with deliberate attempts to disturb and provoke them. Rashid also cautioned that the inmates being lodged with Kashmiris were declared HIV positive and suggested that notorious gangsters in the jail were backing this campaign. The AIP has demanded an independent probe, accountability of Tihar authorities, and safety guarantees for Kashmiri prisoners. Meanwhile, MLA Langate Sheikh Khursheed strongly condemned the attack on Rashid and other Kashmiri detainees, urging regional parties and the J&K Chief Minister to break their silence. “These are not criminals but political prisoners and youth who deserve basic rights. Even their religious practices are being restricted inside jails,” he said in a statement. Khursheed reminded the National Conference of its election manifesto that had promised to work for the release of political prisoners. “Today’s silence on their basic rights is unacceptable. At least raise your voices against this political vendetta,” he added.