By IANS,
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday backtracked on his stand of amending the state’s Ranbir Penal Code to give protective cover to the army in anti-terrorist operations after the proposal created a furore.
“There is no move by the government to replace a temporary legislation with a permanent legislation which is being debated at present in the media,” he told Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary M.Y. Tarigami, according to an official spokesman.
“No paper has been prepared in this regard and it was just one of the suggestions,” said Abdullah, adding: “Various suggestions in this regard have been received from various quarters and they are under examination.”
“The government understands the sensitivity of the issue and therefore any decision in this regard will be taken only after wider consultation with all the concerned,” said Abdullah, according to the spokesman.
Earlier, while talking to media on Nov 23, he had said that the government was ready to amend the RPC (the state’s version of the Indian Penal Code) to bring it on a par with the CrPC, if the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was removed.
His announcement, however, sparked off a strong reaction from various political groups, including main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PD) and separatists in Kashmir.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti even went to the extent of saying that it was like bringing Jammu and Kashmir under “martial law”.