Jammu: Asserting that the government is yet to arrive on an unanimous decision on partial withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said all agencies, except the Army, were in favour of revocation of this Act.
"The reality is that we could not reach an unanimous decision on it (revocation of AFSPA). The reality is that it was deliberated upon in Unified Command meeting. All agencies, except the Army, were in favour of revocation of AFSPA", Omar told the Assembly while winding up a discussion on the grants of his department in Jammu.
The Army did not favour it on the ground that the situation was not conducive for it, he said adding "I decided not to wait for long and I went to the Centre and held talks with all the stakeholders of Cabinet Committee on Security. Talks are on with them".
The Chief Minister said "we are trying that this Act should be lifted not by the end of our turn of governance. I hope this year only we will take a step in this direction".
Referring to a point raised by a member that the state government should write a letter of recommendation for repealing of AFSPA, Omar said "we do not need to send a letter to Government of India. If this power could have been in their hands only, then we would have been under compulsion to write that letter".
"Under AFSPA, the power lies either with the Centre or with the state. We too have powers to recommend lifting of AFSPA", he said adding "when AFSPA was imposed in Jammu region, then the state did not need the Centre's approval. It was a decision taken by the state cabinet and recommended to the Governor who approved it".
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