J and K CM Says Congress, PDP Did Not Support Him On AFSPA Repeal

SRINAGAR: A day after senior Congress leader former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram termed Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as “obnoxious law” that has no place in a modern and civilized country, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah accused his ruling partner Congress and opposition party PDP of not supporting him in getting the controversial Act revoked from the State.

“Congress could have supported on the issue but they did not. No one from the party helped me on the issue the way former Home Minister P Chidambaram did,” Omar told reporters after addressing an election rally in Ganderbal in central Kashmir today.

He said he got a tremendous support from Chidambaram on the issue. “But he couldn’t convince some of his colleagues in the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS and I couldn’t convince some of my colleagues here”.

Omar said had there been more men like Chidambaram in the CCS, then they would have moved a long way forward in revocation of AFSPA from the State.

The J&K Chief Minister has been pressing for removal of AFSPA from some peaceful areas of the State. However, defence ministry and army has been opposing the repeal of the law saying it would affect counter-militancy operations in the State.

Omar also blamed opposition PDP for not supporting him on the issue. “Instead of supporting the government on the issue, they demanded that Army must be taken on board and their point of view heard.”

“Had PDP supported us in getting AFSPA revoked, things would have been different today,” he said.

Chidambaram, who was home minister during UPA-II rule, yesterday termed AFSPA as an obnoxious law that has no place in a modern, civilized country.

“It purports to incorporate the principle of immunity against prosecution without previous sanction. In reality, it allows the AFSPA to act with impunity,” he said.

Reacting to Chidambaram’s statement, senior BJP leader and Union MoS for External Affairs, Gen (Retd) V K Singh said AFSPA does not give unlimited powers to men in uniform.

“AFSPA did not come in way of punishing soldiers involved in stating fake encounter in Machil in border district of Kupwara in 2010,” he told reporters in Srinagar today.

He said no civilian court would have given a verdict in such a short duration.

The former Army chief said AFSPA was only an enabling act. “Army has taken action against its men and officers whenever they were found to have committed any mistake”.

Referring to Chidambaram’s statement, he said he did not give much importance to his remarks.

“He says something at one time and gives another statement the next day. Let us not talk about it,” he added.