Thaindian News

Jammu, Dec 5 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday said that the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) stand that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act should be removed has strengthened his case for the repeal of the act giving special powers to security forces in the state.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Abdullah said: “NHRC’s call for the removal of AFSPA only gives strength to my plea that the special powers should be done away with.”

Contending that his approach was “based on logic and not on emotions”, he accused those opposing the AFSPA’s revocation of offering an “emotional response to a proposal based on logic.”

Abdullah had surprised everyone on Oct 21 when he announced that the AFSPA would go from some areas of the state within days.

A critical response to his announcement came not only from the opposition that charged him with “diverting attention from his government’s failures”, but also from ruling coalition ally Congress, which felt that the chief minister had taken a unilateral step.

The chief minister also reiterated that he had not announced any decision with regard to bringing the state’s penal law, the Ranbir Penal Code, at par with the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to provide protective cover to security forces, especially the army in Jammu and Kashmir in lieu of the AFSPA. He said this was “one of the suggestions and we are considering it”.

“After due deliberation, it is up to us whether to accept or reject the suggestion,” he said.

On Nov 23, Abdullah told newsmen here that he would be amending the RPC to bring it at par with the CrPC to address the “reservations and concerns voiced by the army”.

This move evoked strong protests across the state, particularly in the valley and thereafter Omar backtracked on the issue.