SRINAGAR : At least 30 fearful local officials have resigned in Indian-held Kashmir after rebels killed two colleagues and issued a warning against voting this week in the country’s elections, residents said Wednesday. Hand-written notices announcing the resignations were posted in Tral where militants shot dead two officials and another man on Monday night, residents told AFP.
Notices also appeared in local newspapers, while local imams read out other resignation letters of officials from “panchayat” or village councils at mosques in Tral town, residents and local media reports said. “We were misled that Panchayat elections are only meant for addressing local issues. It was a mistake on our part and we apologise for that,” one of the resignation letters seen by AFP read. In some of the resignation letters, council members dissociated themselves from political parties taking part in the current election as well as denying involvement in the election process. Tensions are running high ahead of voting in the area on Thursday, after rebels issued a warning against taking part in the mammoth general election underway throughout India.