By IANS,
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had recently declared that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be revoked from some areas of the state within days, Friday said the measure would be discussed next month.
Abdullah rejected reports by some TV channels that the revocation of AFSPA had been deferred.
“It NEVER came as a proposal so how can it be deferred. It was always slated to be discussed formally in Jammu once offices open,” he tweeted.
The offices are slated to open here Nov 7, but the opening is likely to get postponed by three to four days because of the Muslim festival of Id-ul-Zuha falling during that period.
The issue has triggered a big debate in the political circles here, especially after the chief minister’s statement last Friday (Oct 21) at a police function in Srinagar that AFSPA would “be removed within days”.
His ruling National Conference is strongly pitching for AFSPA’s removal, but alliance partner Congress has expressed resentment at not being consulted on the issue.
State Congress chief Saifuddin Soz articulated the anger of his party, saying the Congress has not been consulted on the issue.
“The chief minister did not even inform us before making the statement,” Soz told media persons Thursday.