Contrary to its known stand on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said if it is voted to power in Jammu and Kashmir, the act will not be needed.

“We believe the Armed Forces Special Powers Act will not be required if we come to power in the state. We will create such an atmosphere that everything will move peacefully and according to law. There will be no need of the stringent law,” BJP state vice-president and Kashmir affairs in-charge Ramesh Arora told reporters here.

For the past six years, state’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been demanding the gradual withdrawal of AFSPA. Under the Act, the armed forces operating in any disturbed area have special powers and they cannot be prosecuted without sanction from the Union defence ministry.

J&K BJP vice-president Ramesh Arora (centre) with party All-India secretary Tarun Chung (right) addresses the media in Srinagar during the launch of the party manifesto ahead of the Assembly elections in the state

In 1990, Kashmir Valley and areas close to the Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch were declared ‘disturbed’ under AFSPA when armed insurgency began in the Valley. The whole of the Jammu region was declared ‘disturbed’ in 2000.

Abdullah argued that the law should be withdrawn as there has been an 80 per cent reduction in militancy in the state. He also argued that despite the drawdown of the Nato forces in Afghanistan there has been no resurgence of violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, Abdullah faced stiff resistance from the BJP and other parties; he has been accused of using the ‘Withdraw AFSPA’ rhetoric as a political stunt.

Arora targeted Abdullah and said that despite being head of the Unified Command Council he has failed to get things under control in the state, and instead is accusing others.

“We believe the blast in Lal Chowk and murders in other places are political terrorism and we condemn it. We seek proper inquiry into it and we ask for an inquiry against any leader responsible for political terrorism,” Arora said.

But he didn’t blame militants directly for the blasts. The Unified Command, also termed the Unified Headquarters (UHQ), in Kashmir comprises the Army, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and the state police. The General Officer Commanding of 15 and 16 Corps are security advisers to the chairman.

The Unified Command was formed in Kashmir in 1993 to tackle insurgency. On Article 370 of the Constitution, Arora said the party has repeatedly said that they want debate and discussions over the Article.

“We are coming before public with open mind,” he said.

He said the BJP has exposed divisive forces who were now delivering proactive speeches against the party.

Without naming anyone, Arora said some elements are trying to project the BJP as a threat to Kashmiriyat (composite culture of Kashmir) and Islam.

“We have made it clear that state has nothing to do with religion. It only allows people to profess their faith,” he added.

He said some people were hell-bent on communalising the situation, but that they would not succeed.

Launching an attack on the National Conference (NC), Arora said the 2008 election manifesto of NC stated that Dr. Farooq Abdullah would be the chief minister of the state, but his son Omar betrayed the senior Abdullah and became the chief minister.

Omar takes the credit for government feats

By Naseer Ganai in Srinagar

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the NC would lead the state towards more prosperity

In a move to silence critics who accuse him of having nothing to show to people, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the state witnessed a huge transformation in the sectors of power, healthcare, education, roads, bridges, tourism and other sectors under his rule.

He said the National Conference (NC) would continue to lead the state towards new frontiers of prosperity.

“We created a new network of administrative units in every nook and corner of the state to bring government to your doorsteps. The new network of tehsils, community development blocks will mean that your interface with the government is smoother and more efficient,” Abdullah said while addressing a road show at his constituency in Beerwah.

He said the creation of the new administrative units was a historic initiative for the liberalisation and decentralisation of power. He said his government gave J&K one of the strongest Right to Information (RTI) Acts in the country to empower the common man.

“We reconstituted the State Accountability Commission and constituted the State Vigilance Commis- J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sion to wage a war against corruption in J&K after the previous PDP-Congress government had plunged the state into the rot of corruption,” he said.

“Today we have succeeded in drastically reducing corruption in our state,” Abdullah said.

“Our efforts to reduce violence and to make concrete efforts towards the goal of normalcy in the state are also in front of you. In the last six years there has been a seventy per cent decline in violence in J&K,” Abdullah added.