Former Panchayat members reject JRL’s poll boycott call
Jammu: Rejecting separatists boycott call to Panchayat elections in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) an amalgam of ex-Panchayat members of the state, Friday said that they will contest the Panchayat elections in the state and would not bow before any pressure.
AJKPC in a statement issued here said that Panchayats have nothing to do with any kind of political ideology.
In response to the boycott call given by separatist leaders, Shafiq Mir Chairman of AJKPC said that this (Panchayats) is apolitical and community institution and has nothing to do with any kind of politics in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mir has asked all the political parties not to link these elections with any kind of political ideology, saying that Panchayats are just a community institution and local governance body, which makes no law and has nothing to do with politics.
He said if any political party links these elections with any kind of political ideology then it will be responsible for the safety and security of Panchayat members.
Mir said that similarly, the separatist leaders should not link this institution with their political ideology.
Questioning the logic behind the boycott call, Mir said these leaders should ask all their relatives to resign from the government services from all the positions, adding that this is a conspiracy of separatists to keep the people away from the process and pave the way for a particular political party so that they can field their proxy candidates and win easily.
Mir appealed the youth of the state in particular and reasonable people of the society in general to take active part in the poll process and bring clean people in the system.
He said people should not lose this opportunity and must curtail the role of politicians at grass root level by electing honest bodies at grass root level.
KV Correspondent
