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Accusing the NC-led coalition government in the state of "failing" to provide security to members of the panchayat, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference today appealed people to vote against its candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.
"The National Conference and Congress coalition government is insensitive and turning a blind eye towards the brutal killings of innocent panchayat members at the hands of terrorists for failure to provide them security cover," State General Secretary of AJKPC Imtiyaz Afzal Beig said.
"We have decided that AJKPC would appeal the voters to come out in maximum numbers and ensure defeat of the NC-Congress candidates in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections", he said.
"Panchayat members are being targeted by terrorists and unfortunately our own villagers believe that we are governments touts. This is why they are not coming to support us because we are helpless to render them any service in absence of funds and authority." Beig said.
The decision was taken by AJKPC at a meeting today.
AJKPC is a leading body of panchayat representative with 33,000 members.
At the meeting, the members condemned the recent killings of panchayat leaders in the state.
Yesterday, a sarpanch Ghulam Nabi Mir and his son Firdous Ahmed Mir were shot dead by militants in the Tral area of Awanitpora in Kashmir.
While addressing the meeting, AJKPC president Anil Sharma claimed eight sarpanches had been killed so far and asked the state government and the DGP to ensure security of the panchayat leaders.
