List Conditions for Lifting AFSPA: Omar
SRI NAGAR: A day after the Centre said time was “not appropriate” for withdrawing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir, state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the former should inform the state government about its “parameters” for scrapping the controversial law so that it could fulfil them.
“Some people in New Delhi are so attached with this law and love it so much that even if the state government makes all the guns fall silent in Jammu and Kashmir, they will still suggest that it is not the appropriate time to abrogate the law,” Omar told mediapersons here.
He said the Centre should let the state government know what parameters it had set for repealing the AFSPA. “If they let us know the parameters to determine the appropriate time, then we will try to achieve those parameters,” he said.
The Chief Minister said whenever the state told the Centre that it was the appropriate time, it said “not this year” or “next year”. And next year it would widen the goal post again. “I hope that their thinking changes and the they start the process of revoking the AFSPA.
Kashmiris have been demanding the withdrawal of the law that gives impunity to security forces.
Union MoS Home Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday: “Various stakeholders, particularly security agencies, have expressed their apprehension to the government that revocation of the Act will jeopardise their efforts in maintaining the security and law and order in the state.”
Omar said his government would continue to take up the revocation of the AFSPA with the Narendra Modi government.