Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo on Friday said the Centre should consider revoking the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from the Union Territory if the security situation has improved.
She made the comments a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Centre would revoke AFSPA from the entire Northeast next year, except in one or two states.
During a media interaction after the signing of a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Centre, Assam and Nagaland on mineral operations in the Assam-Nagaland border areas, Shah said the shrinking footprint of AFSPA in the region was a reflection of the improved peace and stability.
Reacting to the development, Itoo said Jammu and Kashmir also deserves similar consideration if the government believes that the situation on the ground has improved.
“If it is better, then it should be removed from here too. If they say that the situation has improved, now there is nothing here. Now there are no stones; nothing is happening. After that, I think it should be removed from here first,” Itoo told reporters.
She said apart from the revocation of AFSPA, the government must also restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the elected government has consistently raised the issue with the Centre.
“We have been trying for two years. Our Chief Minister has raised this demand many times. We are not asking for anything new—statehood was already there. We hope it will be returned,” she said.
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