A senior woman Cabinet minister in the Omar Abdullah-led council of ministers on Friday called for the revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the Union Territory, arguing that if the Centre believes the security situation has improved elsewhere, the same principle should apply to Jammu and Kashmir.
The statement made by Health and Education Minister Sakina Itoo has once again brought the contentious issue of the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to the centre stage after a long gap.
During his previous tenure as Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah aggressively pursued the partial withdrawal of AFSPA from specific districts where the army had no active operational role. Reacting to the recent statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the AFSPA would be withdrawn from the entire Northeast next year, except for one or two states, Sakina Itoo said Jammu and Kashmir also deserves similar consideration if the Government maintains that the situation on the ground has improved.
“If it is better, then it should be removed from here too. If they say that the situation has improved, now there is nothing here. Now there are no stones, nothing is happening. After that, I think it should be removed from here first,” Itoo told reporters.
The minister also reiterated the demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the elected Government has consistently raised the issue with the Centre.
“We have been trying for two years. Our Chief Minister has raised this demand many times. We are not asking for anything new — statehood was already there. We hope it will be returned,” she said.
Itoo said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised the issue of early restoration of the statehood and that the Cabinet resolution seeking restoration of statehood has already been sent to the Centre.
She added that a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi is also being planned to press for the demand during the Monsoon session of the Parliament.
