Sheikh Abdul Rashid, an independent Member of Parliament from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency, will begin an indefinite hunger strike on Friday, protesting alleged mistreatment in Tihar Jail.
Leaders of Rashid’s party, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), will also hold a hunger strike in solidarity with their leader at Srinagar’s Pratap Park.
Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has been imprisoned since 2019 after his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror-funding case.
On January 22, Rashid filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking a ruling on his bail application, which remains pending in a trial court.
His plea followed a December 24 order by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, who declined to issue a verdict on his bail request.
Rashid, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate, made headlines by defeating prominent National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from the Baramulla constituency.