Ajaxpaul
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SRINAGAR: Barging inside his house at Bomai in Sopore, Baramulla district, unknown terrorists on Friday gunned down yet another sarpanch, taking the toll of panchayat members killed to six ever since local and rural body elections were held in Jammu & Kashmir in 2011.
According to the police, the sarpanch, identified as Habibullah Mir, was affiliated to the Congress party. The assailants fired indiscriminately with the intention to massacre the entire family. However, the other members of Mir's family had a miraculous escape.
Although no militant outfit claimed responsibility, cops suspect Lashkar-e-Taiba behind the attack. Mir was killed more than a month after panchayat members participated in elections for the legislative council. Lashkar has issued threats in the past to sarpanches to resign, in order to prevent grassroots democracy from gaining ground.
Notwithstanding the terrorist threat, panchayat members participated whole-heartedly in the elections with around 90% polling recorded across the state.
Out of 33,000 panchayat members, nearly 400 claimed to have resigned following threats by various militant outfits across the Valley in the last one year though paid advertisements. The government, though, has confirmed receiving resignations of only 50 members.
The local body elections were held after a gap of 32 years. The ruling coalition, National Conference and Congress, were contesting the elections jointly and fielded two candidates each for the four seats. The opposition parties, including PDP and Panthers Party, had fielded candidates for all four seats while the BJP is contesting three seats: two from Jammu and one from the Valley. The BSP, too, had fielded three candidates.
As many as 15,628 panchayat members elected two MLCs in Jammu division where 21 candidates were in the running.
Another Kashmir sarpanch gunned down by terrorists - The Times of India
According to the police, the sarpanch, identified as Habibullah Mir, was affiliated to the Congress party. The assailants fired indiscriminately with the intention to massacre the entire family. However, the other members of Mir's family had a miraculous escape.
Although no militant outfit claimed responsibility, cops suspect Lashkar-e-Taiba behind the attack. Mir was killed more than a month after panchayat members participated in elections for the legislative council. Lashkar has issued threats in the past to sarpanches to resign, in order to prevent grassroots democracy from gaining ground.
Notwithstanding the terrorist threat, panchayat members participated whole-heartedly in the elections with around 90% polling recorded across the state.
Out of 33,000 panchayat members, nearly 400 claimed to have resigned following threats by various militant outfits across the Valley in the last one year though paid advertisements. The government, though, has confirmed receiving resignations of only 50 members.
The local body elections were held after a gap of 32 years. The ruling coalition, National Conference and Congress, were contesting the elections jointly and fielded two candidates each for the four seats. The opposition parties, including PDP and Panthers Party, had fielded candidates for all four seats while the BJP is contesting three seats: two from Jammu and one from the Valley. The BSP, too, had fielded three candidates.
As many as 15,628 panchayat members elected two MLCs in Jammu division where 21 candidates were in the running.
Another Kashmir sarpanch gunned down by terrorists - The Times of India