Panchayat members slam Rahul Gandhi for betrayal

Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 12: All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) today slammed Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for betraying them in incorporation of 73rd Amendment of Indian constitution to the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act.
“Rahul Gandhi had made a commitment with us on June 27 in Budgam that he will support us in incorporation of 73rd amendment to JK’s Panchayati Raj Act. Unfortunately, he didn’t fulfill his commitment,” said Bashir Ahmed Malik provincial president AJKPC in a press conference here.
He said the Coalition Government led by Omar Abdullah was the main hurdle in empowering Panchayati members in the State.
“This (coalition) is the Government which made us scapegoats by conducting Panchayat elections in the State to sell it against the Kashmir issue at the international market. And it was the wrong propaganda of the Government due to which our six members have been killed so far,” Malik said.
Malik said that a delegation of Sarpanchs and Panchs would soon leave for Delhi to meet Rahul Gandhi to discuss their issues with him including “the promises he had made with them and the deception by Congress party in the State”.