PM tells Omar: Must address Army concerns
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s attempts to get the Armed Forces Special Powers Act removed from some areas in the Kashmir Valley continues to be stonewalled by the defence ministry. Mr Abdullah met Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Monday to make his case and, while Dr Singh gave him a patient half-hour hearing, he remained insistent on the point that the concerns of the security forces, particularly the Army, had to be addressed first.
The Congress top brass, including Dr Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi, also held consultations on the issue.
The Centre made it clear that the CM should still try and evolve a broader consensus in the Unified Command. Sources said Mr Abdullah has been told that different constituents of the Unified Command, particularly the state government, Army, paramilitary forces and the Intelligence Bureau, cannot be seen talking in different voices.
Taking serious note of the CM’s comments in a section of the media last week that as CM he had the right to lift AFSPA, the Centre on Monday indicated that such a decision “cannot be taken unilaterally”’ by the state government. “The Centre needs to be kept in the loop on any issue related to AFSPA and its consent is mandatory,” a top government functionary said.
Sources said the security forces are keen that recent gains should be consolidated rather than conceding ground to militants. Defence minister A.K. Antony insisted that no time limit can be placed on this decision as it is a “very, very sensitive issue which needs to be handled in a mature and cool manner”. Mr Antony has also taken the stand that the Cabinet Committee on Security had agreed last year to allow the “Unified Command to take a decision on the partial withdrawal of AFSPA”.
The removal of AFSPA from Budgam is being strongly opposed as it serves as a crucial road link for security forces to Kargil and other adjoining regions. The CM had pressed for withdrawal of AFSPA from four districts, two each from the Valley and Jammu. Later it was reduced to two districts, Srinagar and Budgam.
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