Srinagar: Independent legislator  Engineer Rashid who was manhandled by frenzy BJP legislators in the Assembly on Thursday said that it is not the Lashkar-e-Toiba or Syed Salahuddin, but the elected BJP ‘terrorist’ members who are threat to India’s sovereignty.

Talking to CNS soon after the incident, Rashid said that he is thankful to National Conference members and Omar Abdullah for saving his life. “I would have been dead if NC and some other members including Hakim Yasin and Usman Majid would have not stopped the BJP goons in the House. I was not expecting this. The attack was sudden. As soon as I entered into the House, the BJP goons attacked me. They hit and kicked me. They had come into the House with a sole purpose to kill me,” Rashid said.

  “Who are they to decided what people should eat and what people should not eat. These BJP elected terrorists tried to repeat the Dadhri incident,” he said.

Responding to a question, Rashid said that by organizing beef party he wanted to convey a message to the government that it should stop interfering in our religious affairs. “I had no intention to hurt the religious sentiments of other people,” he said adding that the assault on him made him believe that Hurriyat leaders and Syed Salahuddin are right. “These goons have audacity to attack an elected member who represents people and what they will do to Hurriyat leaders in case they raise their voice in the Assembly,” he said.

Holding PDP directly responsible for the attack, Rashid said that they have sold their conscience for power. “They are not the sympathizers of people but power hungry,” he said. (CNS)