Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 18: Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president and Incharge BJP Study Group on Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath Singh has voiced serious concern over violence unleashed by the militants over Sarpanchs and Panchs in the Kashmir Valley, forcing some of them to resign.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the copies of which have been released to the media, Mr Singh, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Union Minister, has also castigated the State Government for not implementing 73rd amendment of the Constitution of Indian in Jammu and Kashmir for empowerment of Panchayats.
Rajnath Singh, who had undertaken a series of visits to all three regions of the State including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh as a part of BJP Study Group, lauded the courage shown by the Panchayat members despite militants’ diktats to resign and said: “it was duty of the Government to protect them so that they continued to perform their duties without any fear’’.
The letter addressed to the Prime Minister by a senior national leader of the BJP on killing of Sarpanchs assumed significance as recently there had been reports of the Panchayat members resigning en-masse after the killing of a Sarpanch at Baramulla recently.
The Congress, a coalition partner in National Conference Government, has also been demanding implementation of 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution of India.
“I would like to draw your attention towards the brutal killing of a Sarpanch by the terrorists in Kashmir Valley last week. Five other Sarpanches and Panchs have been killed in several attacks carried out by the extremists against the people, who participated in historic Panchayat elections held last year’’, Rajnath said.
Noting that the killings have triggered a spate of resignations from Sarpanches and Panchs in many areas of the Valley, the BJP leader observed that the terrorists were targeting the Panchayat members as they didn’t want peace and normalcy to return in the Valley.
“The mass resignations have dealt a big blow to democratic forced in the Valley’’, he said.
He added that by vitiating atmosphere in the Valley, the terrorists are putting pressure on peaceful citizens to quit democratic stream. “The State Government has not been able to address problems faced by the Panchayat members of the State and expressed inability to provide security cover to them’’.
Also taking the Centre to task, Rajnath Singh maintained that since peace and security are critical issues in restoring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, the onus lied on the Central Government to act against the “anti-democratic’’ and “anti-India’’ forces operating in the Valley.
“The people elected in Panchayat elections have shown exemplary valour by withstanding the pressure applied by the militants. Keeping these facts in mind, the Centre needed to take proactive measures to protect life and dignity of elected representatives of State Panchayat bodies’’, he asserted.
Referring to delay in implementation of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure empowerment of Panchayati Raj institutions, the BJP leader said: “the amendment has brought greater autonomy to elected bodies at grass root level but in Jammu and Kashmir, this amendment was not applicable and the money was routed through the State Government. It has resulted into large scale misappropriation of funds as the Government lacked accountability and transparency in distribution of funds’’.
Mr Singh observed that if the Centre was committed to strengthen Panchayati Raj institution all over India then the 73rd amendment should be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir as well. This step will give financial autonomy to Panchayats in the State and also help them in fighting terror in the regions, he said.
Asserting that security and financial autonomy were most important instruments to nurture democracy at the grass root level in a State like Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath urged upon the Government to look into critical issues highlighted by him and take effective steps to strengthen Panchayati Raj system in the State.
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