Govt should investigate wealth sources of mainstream leaders: Er Rashid

Awami Itihad Party (AIP) chief and MLA Langate Er Rashid Thursday urged government to investigate sources of wealth of mainstream leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.
He accused some television channels of “character assassination” of people of Kashmir and announced that his party will not participate in any debate on these channels as a mark of protest

Disclosing his assets during a press conference here, Rashid urged Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to direct state Crime Investigation department (CID) and Crime Branch to investigate the source of wealth of every mainstream politician.
“I have already disclosed what assets I had before becoming the member of legislative assembly,” he said.
“While watching television last night, I was shocked to find a television channel alleging that I have raised huge properties. Though the Indian television channels stand already discredited in Kashmir, however it was hard to imagine that these so called journalists will stoop so low,” he said.

“Anybody interested can get the details about my property verified and probed by the agencies from state Crime Branch to National Investigation Agency. I will approach Crime Branch with the request to investigate and probe my property so that it becomes an example and paves a way for the investigation into the properties of police officers, bureaucrats and main stream political leaders,” he said.
“Indian agencies should spare some time from maligning those speaking truth, and investigate those who have raised huge properties and bungalows from Karnah to Dubai and UK to Switzerland,” he said.
Giving details of his assets, he said that “in addition to my salary, I and my brother have taken a bank loan of Rs sixty lakhs,” he said providing the bank account numbers saying “anybody is free to investigate into the claims.”
Rasheed said he has a house in Jammu built on five marlas of land which he had purchased in 1996. Besides, Rasheed said he has a single storey house built on 10 marlas of land in Srinagar. “I solemnly state that I don’t own benami property anywhere,” he said.
“Government of India is trying to malign those Kashmiri leaders who speak truth. But let it be clear to New Delhi that it cannot achieve anything by such tactics. It has not succeeded to stop Kashmiris from demanding right to self-determination and neither will succeed in future by resorting to any kind of pressure on the leadership,” he said.