Srinagar, Jan 14 (PTI) Flagging concern about securityduring panchayat elections next month in Jammu and Kashmir,political parties have said the atmosphere is "worrisome" and"not conducive" for holding the polls at the moment.
The state government had recently announced that thepanchayat polls would be conducted from February 15 andpreparations for elections have been set in motion.
However, aspiring contestants and political partiesincluding National Conference (NC), Jammu and Kashmir PradeshCongress Committee (JKPCC) are wary of the announcement,citing the law and order situation in the state, especially inKashmir valley.
The apprehensions about a smooth conduct of the electionshave been accentuated by the separatists' call for boycott ofthe polls and the threats issued by militant organisationHizbul Mujahideen (HM).
Earlier this month, an audio clip of a purportedconversation between two HM militants went viral on socialmedia, in which a commander of the outfit asked the cadres topour acid into the eyes of those who stand for the upcomingpanchayat elections.
Hizbul commander Riyaz Naikoo in the audio clip toldanother militant of the outfit, Sameer Tiger, that they shouldnot threaten or kill anyone standing for elections but insteadpour "strong acid -- Sulphuric acid or Hydrochloric acid" intothe eyes of these candidates.
Shafiq Mir, a former panchayat member and chairman of AllJammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC), told PTI thatthough he wants the elections to be conducted, "the reports ofsecurity situation are worrisome".
"Our role is to contest elections and we are ready forthat, but the government has to see the security situation.
The government has to see how it will create a secureatmosphere for people," Shafiq said.
Asked about the Hizbul threats and poll boycott call bythe separatists, the AJKPC chairman said panchayats havenothing to do with any kind of politics of Jammu and Kashmirand should not be linked to the Kashmir issue.
"Our institution is not a political one but a communityinstitution. We want to tell those who are issuing threatsthat we have nothing to do with any kind of politics of Jammuand Kashmir," he said.
"We are not associated with any politics. We are justgoing to be elected as a local governing body – an executivebody for local issues, local development," Shafiq said.
He said 16 panchayat members were killed and 20 othersinjured in recent years since elections were held last in2011.
The state's main opposition party NC said the law andorder situation in the state was "very worrisome" and"disconcerting", and conducting the polls "should not be onemore blunder" which in turn could affect tourism, industry andthe state's economy this year.
"Our point is simple, that the obtaining law and ordersituation in the state is very worrisome, it is disconcertingand unless they (the government) address that first, unlessthey address the threats issued to the probable panchayatcandidates first, till then no other statement or rhetoricwill make sense," NC state spokesperson, Junaid Azim Mattu,told PTI.
President of JKPCC, G A Mir, said the announcement of thepanchayat polls was only an image-building exercise and theground situation was not conducive for conducting an electionin Jammu and Kashmir this time.
A senior police official said the security agencies werefully aware of the threat issued by the militants and astrategy will be formulated to counter that.
"We will discuss it and formulate a strategy to counterthe threat," the official said.
He said that a high-level meeting, to be chaired by thechief minister, would discuss the issue after January 26 inthe state's winter capital Jammu. PTI SSBSNE.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.