CRPF will leave AFSPA issue to ministry: Vijay Kumar
October 7th, 2010 - 8:20 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will not involve itself in any controversy on the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Kashmir, the new CRPF chief K. Vijay Kumar said Thursday.”It is a matter to be decided by the higher-ups in the union home ministry and other leaders,” Vijay Kumar told reporters here.
Kashmir’s ruling National Conference and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have been demanding the withdrawal of the AFSPA, at least from the urban areas of the conflict-ridden Kashmir Valley.
The paramiliary force has been fully co-operating with the ongoing removal of some security bunkers in Srinagar city as “it is part of the 8-point peace plan approved by the central government”, he added.
The decision to remove the bunkers was taken at the highest level after “detailed deliberations”, he pointed out.
Vijay Kumar, who shot to fame as the head of the police team which hunted down the forest brigand Veerappan in 2004, took charge Wednesday as the CRPF director general.
The act gives sweeping powers to the armed forces in their counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir and some parts of the northeast. It has come under severe criticism from some political circles and human rights activists who accuse the armed forces of misusing the law, which gives them legal immunity in case of a “collateral damage” during their operations against terrorists and insurgents.
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- 12 more paramilitary bunkers removed from Srinagar - Mar 17, 2011
- AFSPA may go this year: Omar - Mar 05, 2011
- Army is not master of Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah - Nov 27, 2011
- Vijay Kumar replaces Srivastava as CRPF chief - Oct 02, 2010
- Forces need legal protection, air chief says on AFSPA - Oct 04, 2010
- Four attacks injure four in Kashmir - Oct 25, 2011
- AFSPA shadow on Jammu Unified Command meet - Nov 04, 2011
- Antony reviews security situation - Nov 15, 2011
- Vijay Kumar to take charge of CRPF Wednesday - Oct 05, 2010
- National Conference wants army's special powers repealed - Feb 19, 2011
- Indian Army chief meets Omar Adbullah on AFSPA - Nov 15, 2011
- Cop shot dead in Srinagar, bunker removed from city centre (Lead) - Apr 20, 2012
- Kashmir cabinet meet on AFSPA postponed? - Nov 16, 2011
- Kashmir should decide on armed forces special powers: Pillai - Jan 14, 2011
Tags: afspa, bunkers, central government, collateral damage, deliberations, forest brigand veerappan, human rights activists, jammu and kashmir, kashmir, legal immunity, oct 7, pdp, point peace plan, police force, police team, political circles, reserve police, union home ministry, ups, vijay kumar