Rahul responds to heckler in Jammu, vows to outperform Omar

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the Congress will do everything to empower the panchayat in Jammu and Kashmir. “Does the panch or the sarpanch in Jammu and Kashmir have any right?” Rahul asked at a panchayat conference in Jammu. “We need to give panchayats the power to take decisions at the local level,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_1213813” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rahul Gandhi. PTI[/caption] He said that the work that can be done by a panchayat for people cannot be done by an MP or an MLA. “A sarpanch will do better work for his people than an MP or an MLA because he knows his people and their problems more closely,” Rahul said. He said that the Kerala model of panchayats should be followed in Jammu and Kashmir. “There is much local participation in politics in other states like Kerala. This is what should happen in J&K as well,” Rahul said. When a sarpanch at the conference got up and said that the state government pays no heed to them, Rahul assured him that all help needed will be given by the Congress. “I am here to listen to your grievances. We will put pressure on the state government and ensure panchayats get their rights,” he said and added, “Empowering panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir won’t happen overnight, but we assure you it will be done,” he said. Rahul also said that it is important for women and youth to be empowered for progress. “The Congress will resolve issues of reservation, women’s rights and empower the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi’s Jammu visit on Wednesday comes amid a significant Modi wave the region is seeing, believed by many to be a precursor to a stellar performance by the BJP in Jammu. Even Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently acknowledged the startling growth of the BJP in his state, calling Modi a man it would be dangerous to ignore. About a year ago, Rahul Gandhi met a delegation of the All Jammu & Kashmir Panchayat Conference, an association of all village sarpanches in the state. Last year, at least three sarpanches were shot dead soon after the Lashkar-e-taiba pasted posters warning them to quit their posts or face dire consequences, its effort to quell any democratic representation system in the state.