Jammu, October 16 (Scoop News)- Opposing the Cabinet decision to cancel the Block Development Council (BDC) elections after the announcement of official notification, BJP has termed the decision as politically motivated, illegal and undemocratic.
Addressing a press conference at party headquarters on Tuesday, BJP State President Shamsher Singh Manhas said that the party has been fighting for reservation to SCs, STs and Women in Urban and Rural Local bodies and now the NC-Congress coalition government has suddenly woken up to raise this issue as an excuse for cancelling the BDC election.
He was flanked by party National Executive Member & Chief Spokesperson Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Shamsher Singh Manhas said that the Omar Abdullah-led coalition government will have to explain the people under what authorization the Cabinet has over ruled the decision of Election authorities after the process for the BDC election was in progress and what was the urgency to do so. He alleged that the NC and Congress were never sincere in granting reservation to SCs, STs and women but now they want to buy time and avoid election because Congress is fast losing its mandate in Jammu while NC is fear of losing its ground to PDP in Kashmir valley as and when any election is held.
Manhas said that this has further exposed Congress’double speak on the issue of empowerment of Panchayats and ULBs and if they are sincere they could have ensured reservations for Scs, STs and women well before the election process starts as they had their ministers in the State Cabinet. This only shows that they are under instruction from their High Command to support NC -led government under Omar Abdullah.
Re-iterating the BJP’s demand for implementation of 73rd and 74th amendments in totto, Shamsher Singh Manhas said that the party is committed for full empowerment of the panchayats and Urban Local Bodies for which it has been agitating continuously for the last three years and shall not sit mute till these amendments are implemented.
MORE AT http://scoopnews.in/det.aspx?q=24579