JAMMU, Nov 5: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday ruled out security cover to each of the Sarpanchs and Panchs saying that most parts of the state do not face any threat from militants.
“We have never said we will be providing security to each and every panch and sarpanch,” said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the wake of Hizbul supremo’s threat to target them.
Pointing out that it was not necessary, he said except for 30-40 militants operating in three districts, most of the areas in Jammu region were free of militancy.
In Kashmir Valley where some areas face militant threat, the Central and state intelligence agencies is making on the spot assessment of the threat perception and government will take action accordingly, he said at the reopening of civil secretariat and other durbar move offices in the morning.
About Salah-ud-Din’s threat, the chief minister said: “Unfortunately, his own tune is changing, recalling that he was the one who had earlier said there will be no threat made to panches and sarpanches and that these elections can go ahead without any sort of threat from militants.
“I do not know why he has now jumped suddenly on this bandwagon of issuing the threat,” he said, adding that the state government has geared up to deal with any eventuality.
Significantly, the state government’s stand over protection to panches and sarpanches in the wake of Hizbul supremo’s threat has come a day after the expiry of 24-hour deadline given by them to clear its stand over the issue.
However, the All Jammu Kashmir Panchayat Conference – an amalgam of all the organizations representing nearly 33,000 panches and sarpanches in the state, had already made it clear that none of them will resign despite militants threat as they had contested the elections in view of their conviction towards democracy and not on the agenda of any political party or the Kashmir issue.
(Courtesy: Indian Express)
