Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Mar, 16
All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC)—a frontline organisation of elected Panchayat members—has criticised the self-styled leader of Panchayat representatives Shafiq Mir for using the platform of AJKPC to achieve his political agenda.
Addressing an emergent press conference here, senior functionaries of AJKPC also warned of initiating legal action against him if he does not refrain from misusing AJKPC organisation for his personal interests.
“On November 12 last year, Shafiq Mir had individually joined the Apni Party and he had tried to barter the interests of Panchayat representatives when he announced the merger of AJKPC to achieve a political agenda. On the very next, the core committee of AJKPC had a meeting under the chairmanship of its UT President Anil Sharma wherein he was unanimously expelled from the organisation,” Sardar Raja Singh, AJKPC vice president told reporters here.
Singh said he (Shafiq Mir) was no longer a member of AJKPC which is a registered body. “We appeal to all the Sarpanches and Panches that they should remain cautious and aware about the political ambition of Mir. He had tried to cheat all Sarpanches and Panches by trying to associate them with a particular political party,” he said.
In his address, Ram Saroop Sharma, vice president described Mir as an ‘opportunist and said, “From December 2 to December 10, 2019, all Sarpanches and Panches from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir had sit on hunger strike under the leadership of Anil Sharma, UT president AJKPC for the empowerment of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) and MGNREGA workers but he (Mir) did not turn up at the venue even for single day”.
Sharma said he has been using the platform of AJKPC for self-promotion and political mileage. “He is working at the behest of vested interests. He is acting like an agent of a particular political ideology. We warn him that the AJKPC will be forced to start legal action against him if he does not refrain using the platform of AJKPC,” he said.
Another vice president AJKPC Jatinder Singh said that the organisation has been working tirelessly for the empowerment of grassroots representatives, Sarpanches and Panches. “We are not against the protocol to newly elected DDC members but if the government is really intended to offer some privileges to Panchayat representatives, it should begin from first and second tiers of PRIs,” he said.
Des Raj Bhagat, vice president said the AJKPC has been working selflessly for the empowerment of PRIs under the dynamic leadership of Anil Sharma. “The Panches and Sarpanches from Scheduled Caste (SC) community have full faith in the leadership of Anil Sharma as they have been full representation in AJKPC. Shafiq Mir has only propagated his self interests and he is no more a member of this esteemed organisation”.
Prominent among others who spoke on the occasion were Ganesh Dass, general secretary, Kali Dass and Om Prakash, both secretaries, Vijay Kumar, Om Parkash, Vaishno Devi and Milki Ram, all Sarpanches.
