Rajnath Singh Says AFSPA Will Continue In J&K Till It Is Needed

by Abbas Adil

 

AFSPA

Srinagar: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will continue in Jammu and Kashmir till it is needed,
He said “I pray to God that AFSPA is not needed anywhere in the country” adding that all the stakeholders would have to cooperate in order to revoke the act.
When asked by the reporters if there were plans to talk to Kashmiri separatist groups, he said “We have no proposal to hold talks with separatists… We are ready to listen and talk to anyone but anti-national activities should be opposed and boycotted”.
Singh said: “I am confident the situation in Kashmir will not be allowed to deteriorate. We need the cooperation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to improve the situation.”
Singh statement on AFSPA comes a day after Amnesty International India called the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as one of the primary facilitators of impunity by security forces and demanded its repeal.
Amesty said Justice is being denied in cases of human rights violations in J&K and sought investigation into cases of human rights violations in the state by an independent and impartial authority.
Minar Pimple, director of global operations at Amnesty International on Wednesday said “Not a single member of the security forces deployed in the state has been tried for human rights violations in a civilian court”.
“The AFSPA should not be used to shield soldiers from prosecution any more. By bringing alleged perpetrators to justice, Indian government can send a clear signal that nobody is above the law and every person’s right to equality and justice will be respected and protected,” he added.

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