Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s broad hints at the Centre’s readiness to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from J&K evoked cautious and guarded reactions from regional parties in the Union Territory.
Mr. Shah, in an interview with news outlet Gulistan News, suggested that his government will consider revoking the AFSPA. “The situation is getting normal. We are considering revocation of the AFSPA...The government has already drawn a roadmap for the withdrawal of troops and that the process will be initiated after elections,” Mr. Shah had said, in the interview.
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Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah termed Mr. Shah’s remarks “specious”. “The way people of Ladakh have been cheated over the restoration of Statehood and Sixth Schedule, Mr. Shah is repeating it in J&K. If New Delhi thinks everything is normal in J&K, even militancy and separatism are over, then it’s high time to remove AFSPA and withdraw troops. There should be no need to wait further.”
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said her party has consistently demanded the revocation of “draconian AFSPA” along with a gradual removal of troops.
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“It also formulated an important part of our Agenda of Alliance wholeheartedly agreed upon by BJP. Der aayee durust aaye. Better late than never but only if it isn’t jumlebaazi like generating two crore jobs every year or empty promises of depositing 15 lacs into bank accounts. One can only hope that they fulfil their commitment at least in this case since it would bring a huge relief to the people of J&K,” Ms. Mufti said.
She said the Union ministry will walk the talk “by releasing journalists and thousands of young Kashmiri boys currently languishing in jails without any charges or prosecution.”
Jammu Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) chairman Sajad Lone termed the proposed move as “an excellent step”. “People of Kashmir will welcome it. If it is removed, let us take the HM for his word and let us hope he honours his word. And to those Kashmiri leaders who ruled J&K and their national partners who brought in AFSPA and never took it back— can you please have the decency of shutting up,” Mr. Lone said.
Mr. Shah’s remarks come at a time when Lok Sabha elections are around the corner. The BJP intends to increase its tally in four-year-old UT. The AFSPA has been an emotional issue in Kashmir, in the backdrop of the allegations by civilians of its “misuse” at the peak of militancy in J&K.
