Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee today accused the state government of “thrusting” the Panchayat elections on the people and claimed “it would cost” Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti “dearly” as the time is not yet right for the polls.
“You are thrusting the Panchayat polls on the people. We warn you (Mehbooba) that it will cost you dearly and the consequences will be grave for you,” state Congress chief G A Mir said.
He was referring to state Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Abdul Haq’s statement last week that the Panchayat polls in the state would be held in March and preparations were on for the same.
Addressing a day-long convention of Congress workers at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Mir said, “The time and weather is not ripe and she (Mehbooba) is going for the elections without preparations just as Modi went for demonetisation.
“She is under some pressure and the way she is taking steps, those are against the interests of the people (of the state),” he alleged.
“Mehbooba’s government is creating pressure for holding the polls by taking hasty steps, be it increasing number of wards or separating Panchayats. These should be done by a delimitation committee or the commission.
“But she is having all this done by a single department, which is totally unconstitutional. We condemn it,” Mir said.
He said that Congress along with the people will oppose the government if it holds the elections “adopting wrong ways”.
PTI