Delhi,: A sit-in protest was held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Monday to mark six years of imprisonment of Baramulla MP and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) president, Engineer Rashid.
Hundreds of supporters, activists, and sympathisers took part in the demonstration, carrying placards and banners demanding the immediate release of Er Rashid, along with other Kashmiris detained in jails across India and Jammu and Kashmir. Protesters raised slogans condemning his continued detention as “an assault on democracy,” arguing that keeping a democratically elected MP behind bars undermines the mandate of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Banners displayed messages such as: “Prison walls cannot silence people’s mandate” and “When leaders are jailed, democracy fails.”
Several speakers at the sit-in, including Delhi-based civil society members and noted peace activist O.P. Shah, voiced their solidarity with the demand. They described Er Rashid’s six-year imprisonment despite his electoral mandate as “a travesty of justice,” emphasizing that he should be allowed to represent his constituents in Parliament.
Addressing the gathering, leaders cautioned that prolonged detention of political figures erodes public confidence in democratic institutions. “Six years of incarceration despite overwhelming public support is unjust. The government must immediately release Er Rashid,” one speaker asserted.
