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A total of 19 Gram Panchayat members in R H No-1 camp of Sindhanur taluk in Raichur district have submitted their resignations for electing a Muslim member as its president. The president's post for the second term has been reserved for the general category. The members, who have tendered their resignations, argued that the Muslim candidate should be made president only when the post is reserved for OBCs.
The Gram Panchayat has a total strength of 38 members. A Rehman Pasha, a member from the Muslim community, has been elected president and those who have resigned were abstained from the voting. Prasen Raptan, one of the disgruntled members, contended that the GP has 23 members belonging to the majority Bengali community who come under general category. In this regard, he said that someone from the Bengali community should have become president, and that the post can be allotted to a Muslim member when it is reserved for the OBC category.
"We have resigned not because of Muslim candidate has become president. Majority of Bengali community members have resigned as they are deprived of the GP president's post. We have submitted resignation to the president who should accept it within 15 days. Our fight is against a political party which has given the general quota to reserved candidate", Prasen Raptan said.
Devasugur Block Congress minority cell secretary Mujahid Marched said that these members have resigned by coming under the influence of caste and communal hatred. Stating that there is a conspiracy of BJP and JD(S) leaders behind the en-mass resignation, he urged that these members should not be allowed to contest again by canceling their membership. He also alleged that the move is a violation of the Constitution and reservation policy.
Meanwhile, GP president Rehman Pasha said that some people are trying to gain political mileage by causing rift between Hindu and Muslims. "These members are pursuing politics of hatred though both community people have been living with harmony. It is also an attempt to cause dent to Congress vote bank in the forthcoming taluk panchayat, ZP and Lok Sabha elections' ', he alleged.