GUWAHATI (ASSAM) — Armed forces are in favour of the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said days after the Centre reduced the areas under AFSPA in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
“The three wings of our defence forces want Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to be removed from Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible. The circumstances are responsible for the imposition of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir, not the Army,” Rajnath Singh said.
Speaking at the felicitation ceremony of 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War veterans here, Rajnath Singh said it is no small thing that for the last three-four years the work of removing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was being done in northeastern states.
He said that AFSPA was removed from 15 police stations each in Manipur and Nagaland.
He also said AFSPA was recently completely removed from 23 districts of Assam.
The Centre had last month removed AFPSA from 15 police station areas in seven districts of Nagaland, 15 police station areas in six districts of Manipur and 23 districts entirely and one district partially in Assam.
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is an act of the Parliament of India that grants special powers to the Armed Forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. — (ANI)