No battle with Rahul on panchayat issue, says Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said there was no battle going on between him and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on security for sarpanches and empowering of panchayats.

"Have to love the media's priorities when my imaginary battle with Rahul (Gandhi) is more important than what the President (Pranab Mukherjee) says in Kashmir," Omar wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.

The Congress had on Thursday dismissed suggestions that it is "Omar versus Rahul" on the issue of the security of elected sarpanches in Jammu and Kashmir but stressed they should be provided full security by the state government.

"Not at all. There is nothing like Omar Abdullah versus Rahul Gandhi in this matter," party spokesperson Rashid Alvi had told reporters in Delhi when asked whether the issue of security of elected sarpanches and panchayat members in Jammu and Kashmir was leading to some sort of a tiff between Gandhi and Omar.

A delegation of nine sarpanches from the state had met Gandhi yesterday and some of them complained to him that the state government was treating the elected panchayat members as second-class citizens.


Image: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah