Mustansir
srinagar, Feb 25: The killing of National Conference sarpanch, Javaid Ahamd Wani, by unidentified gunmen last evening outside his home in Kalantra Payeen village in north Kashmir's Pattan area has triggered a fresh scare among NC workers. The workers who are in a state of extreme insecurity have called upon Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to provide them security.
The panic stricken workers have criticized the Government for failing to provide them with security. "The State Government has totally failed to protect our lives. We are living in conditions of extreme insecurity," one sarpanch from north Kashmir said, and added that huge funds are being spent on the security and protection of MLAs and Ministers but the Government is merely watching us get killed." Though the Omar Government has claimed rural body elections, which were held two years back in Jammu and Kashmir after three decades, as its biggest achievement but it has miserably failed to secure it. At least 10 panches and three sarpanches of Baramulla district today announced their resignations following the killing of sarpanch Javed Ahmad Wani last night.
The killing of a panchayat member last month prompted dozens of members to resign or flee their homes and with the killing of Wani there are apprehensions that the killing will lead to another wave of resignations.
Panic-stricken, some of them announced their resignations over the public address system while others approached local newspersons requesting them to prominently highlight their resignation in the media.
Panches said the State Government had failed to provide them security and their lives were in extreme danger. "The State Government has totally failed to protect our lives. We are living in conditions of extreme insecurity. As a last resort to protect our lives, we announce our resignations from the allotted positions," said sarpanches of Delina and Jahama. Though the hardliner separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani had strongly condemned the killing of elected members but killing of Wani has send shock waves in among the political workers especially the NC workers in the Valley.
Meanwhile, senior National Conference leaders, Mohammad Sayed Akhoon, Gul Rafiqee, Sayed Abdul Rashid, Dr Mohammad Shafi, Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, Bushan Lal Bhat, Ab. Kabir Pathan, Sayed Manzoor, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan have condemned the killing of Wani in strongest terms and have demanded adequate security to National Conference workers.
"Once again the NC workers and leaders are on the target of militants and the Chief Minister should take serious note of it and provide adequate security to the NC cadres," the statement added. They said that NC workers have been the soft targets and those enjoying heavy security grid should also think of the poor workers at the ground level. The NC leaders added the NC workers immaterial whether Panches, Sarpanches or party workers are being killed cold bloodedly but the Government has miserably failed in securing the precious lives of the NC workers. |
