New Delhi:
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is locked in a battle with the Army over the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some parts of his state, met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in the capital in a bid to "narrow down differences" over the issue. Mr Abdullah said that the effort was to try to work out a compromise to balance national security and the aspirations of the people. "I believe that there is ample opportunity to address the concerns that the armed forces have while allowing us to still go ahead with our position," he said.
On Monday evening, Mr Abdullah also met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the government's chief trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee. The Chief Minister had called upon Defence Minister AK Antony on Sunday.
Mr Abdullah said there was a need to find common ground over the withdrawal of AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir. "Nobody came here expecting an immediate decision. As I said after I had concluded my meeting with Home Minister that this is my first round of discussions with the ministers and the Prime Minister; particularly those ministers who are a part of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). At the same time I had an opportunity to call on Mrs. Gandhi, and while reviewing the functioning of the coalition in the state, I also apprised her of this ongoing debate on the AFSPA."
"I do understand that the Defence Minister and others have said that this is not a debate that should be conducted in public and I am all for a quiet discussion on this," the Chief Minister added.
When asked about separatists' threat over the Valley as soon as AFSPA is removed, Mr Abdullah said, "Let them try it, this is a ploy of the separatists. If the act is not removed they agitate against it, and when we are trying to remove the act they will threaten and scare people."
The J&K chief minister has told the Army that "no is not an option" when it comes to lifting the military law from areas where the state administration believes it is not needed any longer.
(Read)In Delhi today, he sought to underplay his differences with the Army top brass and said, "It is unfortunate that this entire exercise issue has been painted as Omar vs the Army. It has never been this. The state government is only going forward on what the CCS had recommended. This is not an 'Omar wages a war against the Army' or the 'Army is waging a war against Omar'. The various wings of the government ate trying to find a common meeting ground."
Terming the issue of withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as "very very sensitive", Defence Minister AK Antony said he had "very frank" and "very fruitful" discussions with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah yesterday but it was inconclusive. "On our side, my opinion is that this being a very, very sensitive issue, let us handle it in a very mature and cool manner," Mr Antony said.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra is also in Delhi, and he too met the Defence Minister yesterday. The meeting assumes significance after Mr Abdullah said that the authority to revoke AFSPA lay with the Governor "who would act on the basis of the state government's recommendations." Mr Vohra also met Army Chief VK Singh today.
The Chief Minister had made an announcement a few weeks ago that the law would be lifted and has been in talks with the Army since, that had led to a stalemate. The Army is against lifting AFSPA from any region of the state, saying the time is not ripe for it. The confrontation seems to have reached a crescendo after a defiant Mr Abdullah said on Friday that he had the authority to revoke the contentious law.
The Army's objections to the proposed revocation stems purely from a long-term perspective although everyone agrees that 2011 has been an exceptionally peaceful summer. "AFSPA is an enabling act to counter terrorist operations. It has also to be seen in context of the proxy war. Pakistan continues to have its proxy infrastructure. Until we remove the terrorists fully, it's not time to partially revoke the AFSPA", Lt. General KT Parnaik, Commander of the Northern Army, had said.
The Army also says people in rural areas do not bother much about the politics of the Act. All that they want is peace.