Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 26: The ten member delegation of Sarpanchs from the State is leaving for Union Capital to night to meet the AICC general secretary, Rahul Gandhi tomorrow and discuss the security problem faced by Sarpanchs and Panchs in the State with him in the wake of militants’ threat and killing of thee Sarpanchs in different parts of Kashmir valley during last over one month.
Expressing grave concern over the increasing attacks on Sarpnchs and Panchs in the State by militants Shafiq Mir convener Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference said that they received a telephonic message from the office of Rahul Gandhi this afternoon who invited a delegation of Sarpanchs to Delhi to discuss the security problem with him.
Mr Mir said a 10 member delegation is leaving New Delhi tonight and it will meet Mr Gandhi and other senior leaders and discuss the issue with them. Though security of over 33,000 panchs and sarpanchs of the State will be the main focus in the meeting with Mr Gandhi and other leaders, the implementation of Indian Constitution’s 73rd Amendment will also figure during the deliberations, he added.
He said that fear psychosis prevail among the sarpanchs, panchs and their families in Kashmir valley and militancy infested areas of Jammu region after the killing of two Sarpanchs and one Panch in Valley. Mir accused the NC led Coalition Government in the State of its total failure in providing security to Panchs and Sarpanchs who received an open threat from Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit in South Kashmir on April 16 this year asking them to quit or face consequences.
Mir said on April 18 he wrote a letter to Minister of Rural Development, Ali Mohammed Sagar informing him of the threat call and later another letter was dashed by him on July 14 to Commissioner Home and others in the Government. Though Commissioner Home endorsed his letter to DGP but till date nothing was done on the part of Government to provide security to Sarpanchs and Panchs, he added.
He also demanded Rs 20 lakh as an exgratia to the victims families.
Mir, while lauding the role of the Sarpanchs and Panchs said these 33,000 people have helped in revival of democratic process sin the State after over 20 years of turmoil and have taken the National Flag in their hands. They don’t belong to any political party but were with the strengthening of democratic process in the State and if they are being threatened and no steps taken for their security no one in future will come forward to participate in democratic process in the State, he warned.
He said besides him, the sarpanchs who are participating in tomorrow’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi include Imtiyaz Ahmed Beg, Khurshid Ahmed Maliq, Ghulam Ahmed Mir, from Kashmir valley, Anil Sharma, Kulbhushan Khajuria, Fazal Alam, Mohammed Aslam Kohli and Maqboll Choudhary.
The other Sarpanchs present in the press conference included Fazal Alam Wani, Kulbushan Khajuria president All J&K panchayat Coordination Committee Mohammed Aslam Kohli and Anil Sharma.
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