Panchayat leaders continue resignation spree in J-K

Around 60 Panches and Sarpanches have made their resignations public through paid advertisements in various local dailies here citing threat to their life as the reason for the resignations.

The fresh resignations through paid advertisements have taken the total to nearly 800. However, authorities maintain that they have received only 50 resignations since the landmark elections were held last year after a gap of nearly three decades.

Hundreds of Panchayat members announced their resignations through advertisements following killing of a deputy Sarpanch in Pattan area of Baramulla district in the second week of September this year.

Dozens more quit after militants issued a fresh threat in the third week of September.

Hizb supremo, Salahuddin, in an interview to weekly news magazine 'Tehelka' had said Panchayat members will be targeted in future as the government was projecting Kashmiris as pro-India.

"Panches and Sarpanches are exploited by India to project Kashmir as pro-India, and as such they will continue to be targeted. No matter how much government tries to secure them, they will still be attacked," Salahuddin said in the interview.

Playing down the threats, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had yesterday ruled out providing security to each and every nearly 33,000 Panches and Sarpanches in the state, but had said the government was geared up to deal with any threat perception. (MORE)