AIP President and MP Baramulla Er Rashid attended the oath ceremony of Omar Abdullah, congratulating the newly sworn-in leader and extending his best wishes for the future. Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the ceremony, Er Rashid remarked, “My all best wishes for Omar Sb. Let us hope he will fulfill his agenda. Let us hope the Modi government will give full support to Omar Abdullah because the issues of Jammu and Kashmir are much bigger than our personal interests, egos and political agendas.”
Drawing a historical reference, Er Rashid compared Omar Abdullah’s current position to that of his grandfather, Sheikh Abdullah, saying, “Just like Sheikh Abdullah Sb, who once held the position of Prime Minister and later came back as Chief Minister, Omar Sb, who has been Chief Minister of one of the strongest assemblies in the country, today joins as Chief Minister of a Union Territory Assembly—a position he once referred to as lesser powerful than a municipality.”
He assured his support to Omar Abdullah on initiatives that benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir but made it clear he would resist any policies that harm public interests. “I will give my full support to Omar Abdullah when he works for the people and I will resist whenever it goes against the interests of the people of J&K,” Er Rashid stated.
While speaking to media persons, Er Rashid also criticized the Congress party, labeling them as “opportunists and hypocrites.” He said, “Congress is a confused party; they say one thing in Jammu, another in Delhi, and something else in Srinagar. Congress should come clean on the restoration of Article 370.”
He further pointed out internal conflicts within the Congress, adding, “The reason they have not been inducted into the ministry is not due to their stance on the restoration of statehood, which they claim, but because of their internal clashes regarding ministerial positions.”
