Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on considering the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the wake of improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday invited sharp reactions from mainstream political parties in the valley.
Two former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti both expressed fears that it might be just a poll promise of Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Former chief minister and National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah said the promise of revoking the AFSPA has been made given the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as he feared that the people here would be cheated just like those in Ladakh were on the promise of the Sixth Schedule.
Another former chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the Shah’s statement but hoped it would not be a “Jumlebaazi” like the BJP promise of providing two crore jobs in the country every year.
In an interview given to a local news channel Amit Shah made a categorical statement that the removal of AFSPA can be considered as the situation is turning normal.
“I have been waiting for this day since 2011. We made a lot of efforts to remove the AFSPA (when he was the chief minister) as well, but I fear that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be misled and cheated like the people of Ladakh were misled and cheated on the promise of the Sixth Schedule as elections are here,” Abdullah told reporters in Budgam district.
The NC leader said the law, which gives widespread powers and immunity against prosecution to security forces in disturbed areas, should be revoked right away given the statements made by central leaders about the restoration of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“As far as revoking the AFSPA is concerned, start from today. When they say the situation is normal and militancy has ended and there is no separatist thought left, then what are they waiting for?” he asked.
Meanwhile, in a post on X, PDP chief Mufti said, “As a first step, the Central government can release journalists and Kashmiris languishing in jail ‘without any charges.” “PDP has consistently demanded the revocation of draconian AFSPA along with a gradual removal of troops. It also formulated an important part of our Agenda of Alliance wholeheartedly agreed upon by BJP. Der aaye 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,” Mufti said.
The former J-K chief minister hoped that the government would fulfill its commitment in case of AFSPA revocation as it would bring relief to the people of the Union territory.
