The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir may be repealed, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah hinted in passing. This move prompted circumspect responses from local 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.
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.”
Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the Peoples Democratic Party, stated that her organisation has continuously called for the repeal of the “draconian AFSPA” and the gradual withdrawal of soldiers.
“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.
The Lok Sabha elections are quickly approaching, which is why Mr. Shah made these comments. In four years, the BJP hopes to add more seats to its total in UT. In Kashmir, the AFSPA has been a contentious topic due to claims made by non-military individuals regarding its “misuse” during the height of insurgency in the region.
