[1]Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani on Saturday said his party was against the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The former deputy Prime Minister, who arrived here late on Friday, spoke to reporters prior to commencing his anti-graft yatra in the state Saturday morning. "Our party's stand is that the contribution made by the army in Jammu and Kashmir should be remembered always. Nothing should be done to weaken the position of the armed forces in the state.
The special powers act need not be withdrawn from there," said Advani. He, however, said that Manipur should be seen as a separate case. AFSPA, which gives sweeping powers to the armed forces, was invoked in the Kashmir Valley in 1990 and Jammu region in 2001. The leader also showered praises on the Travancore royal family for protecting the treasure that was in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple for many years.
"The enormous wealth of the temple which is now reported to be worth more than Rs.1 lakh crore has been kept safe by the Travancore royal family for many years. They showed a great sense of responsibility, honesty and uprightness and they should be complimented for that," said Advani. Queried about his view on using the temple wealth for the welfare of the state, as suggested by the Communist Party of India-Marxist, he said it should be left to the tradition and culture of the state.
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