Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 7: The independent MLA from Langate constituency in north Kashmir, Er Rashid today said that he cast his vote in favour of the veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha polls after Congress legislators acknowledged that then UPA government had "committed a mistake" by not allowing family members of the parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was hanged in New Delhi's Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013, to meet him, and the resolution moved by him (Er Rashid) in the assembly to seek mortal remains of Afzal Guru back was a "humanitarian issue."
Talking to reporters after he cast his vote in Azad's favour Er Rashid said that before agreeing to vote for Azad, five Congress legislators Vikar Rasool, G M Saroori, Mohammad Amin Bhat, Haji Abdul Rashid and Gulzar Ahmed Wani gave in writing that then UPA government "committed a mistake" by not allowing family members of Afzal Guru to meet him before he was sent to gallows. "They also agreed that resolution moved by me (Er Rashid) in the assembly to seek return of Afzal Guru's mortal remains was a humanitarian issue," he added.
Er Rashid said that he had held talks with PDP and BJP also. " I chose lesser evil by deciding to vote for NC-Congress candidate," he said, adding, "To stall BJP's communal agenda of Ghar Wapsi and Article 370, I voted for Azad--- otherwise all these parties are two sides of the same coin and have only brought miseries to people of the state. |
