Councillors threaten to resign on security issue

Srinagar, February 13
Despite assurance by the government to provide all possible security, several newly elected municipal councillors in the Kashmir valley have decided to resign, fearing attacks.

National Conference (NC) chief Omar Abdullah has already announced that all 84 councillors of the party will resign en masse if they were not provided enough security.

“We have been left with no alternative but to ask all party councillors to resign en masse if the government fails to provide them security immediately,” he said.

Mr Omar Abdullah said an NC councillor was shot dead by militants at Ikhrajpora when he was coming out of a mosque after offering prayers.

One each elected member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the NC have been killed by the militants while two NC leaders were gunned down after they filed their nomination papers for the election.

Though the civic polling in the valley, held after a gap of more than 27 years and which recorded highest voter turnout, was peaceful with no reports of any militant attack, the pre-poll and post-poll violence against political leaders have forced them to remain confined within the four walls of their “unguarded” houses.

NC councillor of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation Mohammad Maqbool Shah was shot dead at Ikhrajpora recently while PDP councillor Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir was killed at Beerwah in the central Kashmir district of Badgam from where all 13 members were elected unopposed after no other candidate filed nomination papers.

Unconfirmed reports said eight members of the Beerwah Municipal Committee have also decided to resign after Mir’s killing.

Of the total 368 municipal council, municipal committee and municipal corporation wards, 73 members were elected unopposed while no nomination was filed in 35 wards owing to the threat by the militants.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Abdul Rehman Veeri said all councillors would soon be provided secure accommodation besides a Personal Security Officer. — UNI