JK Police Act is similar to AFSPA ; Prakash Javadekar

Press Trust of India 

New Delhi: BJP on Tuesday expressed its disagreement with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over repealing of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, saying the state should not speak against this law as it has already passed a similar legislation in its Assembly.

"Omar Abdullah's own state has passed a law which has virtually the same provisions as AFSPA. The Jammu and Kashmir Police Act is similar to AFSPA. People can see the difference between his words and deeds," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters. He insisted that Omar and his government cannot oppose AFSPA when they have a similar law in force.

Omar told the Srinagar Assembly on Tuesday that the AFSPA should be repealed from the places where Army is not required. He also referred to Irom Sharmila, the North-East activist who has been on a hunger strike for over a decade, saying if she (Sharmila) can talk about it why can't he speak against it.

"One woman has been on a hunger strike for 12 years just to campaign against the AFSPA law. In comparison to that, I have done nothing. All I say is remove the law where it is unnecessary," Abdullah said.

AFSPA, passed in 1958, has drawn flak due to alleged misuse of powers by the security forces. The Act gives security forces including military and paramilitary personnel sweeping powers. It was first used in states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura and was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir.