Er Rashid’s participation in Parl his constitutional right, says AIP

Srinagar, Jul 26: Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) on Saturday reiterated that Member of Parliament (MP) Engineer Rashid, elected from Baramulla with over 4 lakh votes, must be allowed to participate in Parliament. AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi, in a statement issued here, said denying Er Rashid access while he remains an undertrial is a violation of constitutional rights and an affront to representative democracy.Quoting Article 105 of the Constitution, Inam underscored that MPs enjoy freedom of speech and immunity in the discharge of their duties and cannot be denied the right to represent unless disqualified under law. “Er Rashid has not been convicted or disqualified under Article 102(1)(e) or the Representation of the People Act, 1951. He remains an undertrial and constitutionally retains full rights as an MP,” he said.The spokesperson asserted that blocking the AIP chief’s participation directly undermines the rights of his constituents, protected under Article 326 and the basic structure doctrine. “This amounts to punishing voters who fulfilled their democratic duty,” he said.The AIP spokesperson appealed to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Union Home Ministry and the judiciary to ensure institutional fairness and uphold the Constitution. “We, as a political party, have full faith in the judicial system, which is the guardian of a civilised society. The true source of an MP’s rights lies in his duty towards the common people,” he said.