The Centre will consider revoking the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday in an interview with Gulistan News.
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, or AFSPA, gives Army personnel sweeping powers in disturbed areas to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary for “the maintenance of public order”. The entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been classified as a disturbed area under the Act.
On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said: “We [Centre] have plans to pull back troops and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone.”
Shah said that the Jammu and Kashmir Police are now at the forefront in most gunfights with militants, with central forces providing support. “Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Police was not trusted but today they are leading the operations,” he said.
The minister also said that the Assembly elections in the Union Territory would be held before September. The Supreme Court had in December 2023 directed the Election Commission to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024, after it had upheld the Centre’s 2019 decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to the region.
“Enshrining democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise and it will be fulfilled,” Shah said on Tuesday, according to PTI. “However, this democracy will not be confined to three families alone and will be a people’s democracy.”
The BJP leader also urged the youth to stay away from “conspiracies” backed by Pakistan. “Today, Pakistan is shrouded by the scourge of hunger and poverty and even people there see Kashmir as heaven,” he said. '“I want to tell everyone that if anyone can save Kashmir, it is Prime Minister Modi.”
Earlier this month, political parties in Jammu and Kashmir had expressed disappointment at the Election Commission not announcing the dates for Assembly elections in the Union territory.
The poll panel had on March 16 announced the dates of the Lok Sabha elections and said that voting will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. It also said that Assembly polls for Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim will be held simultaneously with the general elections.
While announcing the schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar cited security reasons for not holding the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir simultaneously with the parliamentary polls.
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