National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah on Monday made a passionate plea for “justice” for the jailed Sheikh Abdul Rashid aka Engineer Rashid, who defeated him in the recent Lok Sabha polls, attempting a course correction after facing flak for allegedly linking Rashid’s win to secessionism.

Congratulating all the members of Parliament who took the oath on Monday, including those from Jammu and Kashmir, Omar posted on X: “This is a momentous occasion for our democracy. It is important to acknowledge that while the people of North Kashmir have elected Engineer Rashid, he should be given the opportunity to take his oath and represent his constituents. It is equally important to recognise the injustice faced by those imprisoned, who are unable or unwilling to participate in elections.”

Engineer Rashid could not take the oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha as he continues to be in jail since 2019 after being charged by the National Investigation Agency in a terror-funding case.

Rashid won the Baramulla parliamentary seat by defeating Omar and People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone by a big margin.

Though Omar had sought Rashid’s release immediately after his victory, he faced a backlash for sharing an article that suggested his win “will empower secessionists” and give “Kashmir’s defeated Islamist movement a renewed sense of hope”.

PDP leader Waheed Para called it a “regressive stance, echoing the divisive politics of 1987, and dubbing a democratic expression as an ‘Islamist wave’”. Para was referring to the 1987 election, which was allegedly rigged by the NC and the Congress.

The NC had a tough time explaining that the article was authored by somebody else and Omar did not share those views.

Omar later said his entire election campaign had talked about Rashid’s release.

“The articles I’ve put here are not my views but they are a point of view. I may agree with parts, disagree with parts but they are an opinion. As for Rashid’s release, it’s a matter for the courts as it is in all such cases," he said.

"I didn’t agree with Rashid’s detention in the first place and I don’t agree with it now but that’s neither here nor there because it shouldn’t be just about one man but about the thousands in jail, including the anonymous ones outside J&K."

Omar’s plea on Monday called for Rashid’s release and said the NC MPs — Aga Ruhullah and Mian Altaf, who won the Srinagar and Anantnag seats — would “vociferously demand justice for all prisoners, including Engineer Rashid”.

“We will also demand the immediate transfer of these prisoners held in jails outside J&K back to jails in Kashmir, pending their release,” he said.

“One of our main demands will be a broader amnesty for all individuals detained after August 5, 2019.”

A Delhi court on Saturday postponed the hearing of Rashid’s interim bail plea until July 1.

Veteran Congress leader Karan Singh, the former Sadr-i-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir, regretted Omar’s defeat and said he would have been an asset in Parliament.

Singh said Omar had made a mistake by contesting from Baramulla instead of Srinagar, an NC “bastion”.