Army Chief General Opposed to Dilution or Withdrawal of AFSPA

Army Chief Generak VK Singh has firmly opposed any dilution or withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir saying that the demand is being made for ‘narrow political gains’, said media reports.

He said that soldiers operating in ‘hostile environment’ need legal protection to perform their tasks efficiently, reports said.

“Any dilution or withdrawal of AFSPA will lead to constraining our operations,” Singh was quoted as saying in an interview to the ‘Land Forces’ Defence magazine. “AFSPA is a misunderstood act and all who ask for its dilution or withdrawal, probably do so for narrow political gains.”

He made the statement when asked if the withdrawal of AFSPA would ‘seriously jeopardise’ the safety and credibility of the force in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, along with the Prime Minister and Home Minister, has regulary raised the issue of amending the AFSPA. The government is also planning to make the Act more humane.

North-eastern states have also been demanding the removal of AFSPA citing the misuse of the law by the armed forces.

Singh noted that the violence levels have come down in the state, though, adding, “The terrorist threat remains real and the terror infrastructure across the borders remains active.

“In such an environment, the security forces are required to undertake operations in challenging circumstances against highly trained terrorists armed and equipped with sophisticated weapons. Therefore, we need requisite legal protection.”

In the interview given to the magazine in April, Singh said adequate measures have been taken at all levels to ensure that the powers entrusted through the Act are not misused, said reports.

(Based on internet reports)