Asking people of Jammu and Kashmir not to come under the influence of the proxies of BJP, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday alleged that the government has now brought to fore jailed MP Engineer Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) after all other proxy parties failed in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

Talking to newsmen in Anantnag, Mehbooba accused the AIP of Engineer Rashid, who is in the Tihar jail on the charges of terror funding, of being a proxy of BJP.

Mehbooba’s remarks have come a day after the PDP’s candidate from Shopian assembly constituency, Yawar Shaffi Banday, was seriously injured in an attack allegedly by activists of AIP at Balpora in Shopian.

She said that the police have not yet taken any action against the attackers although our candidate was beaten and his ribs were broken.

Mehbooba said that the PDP, National Conference (NC) and Congress are the only parties in Kashmir that are not backed by some power and asked the people not to come under the influence of the proxies of BJP.

The PDP chief questioned from where the AIP was raising resources and candidates when their chief was behind the bars.

“PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took 50 years to form the party, we still do not have resources to field candidates everywhere. Who is behind the Engineer’s party as their candidates are fielded everywhere, wherefrom is the funding coming? Where do they get such courage to engage in hooliganism?” she added.

“I want to ask the government, if you have brought Engineer Rashid’s party to the fore, and you are supporting them fully with funds and everything, then tell us clearly that other parties do not have to contest elections,” she said.

The PDP chief alleged her party is being targeted everywhere. “Had PDP workers done such a thing, the whole PDP would have been in jail”.

“How did the AIP workers have the courage to attack our workers? Why has there been no action against them so far? Why are they not in jail yet?” she questioned.

“There is a huge power behind them who wants to divide the vote in Kashmir. The PDP is particularly on their target, they know PDP is the only party which stood for the people of Kashmir”.

“All these parties in the guise of independent candidates, in the guise of AIP, they are certainly getting funding from somewhere. Wherefrom are they getting such resources? The people have to think about it,” she said.

They broke the PDP and made several proxy parties, but when their other proxy parties failed in the Parliament elections, they have now brought Engineer Rashid’s party. So, I warn the people of Kashmir that all the other parties than the PDP, NC and Congress, are backed by some power, including Rashid’s party. They want to harm the cause of J&K,” she added.