NC MLA takes part in signature drive against Act
The government has no plans to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
“No, sir,” Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in reply to a written question on whether the government had plans to revoke AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states.
Chaudhary said the government had not received any information from its sources about conducive atmosphere prevailing in the states for lifting AFSPA. The minister was responding to a question by PDP MP Nazir Ahmed Laway.
Meanwhile, a signature campaign launched in the Kashmir valley for the revocation of AFSPA from J&K reached central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday where National Conference legislator Aga Rohullah signed the petition.
The second phase of the campaign “Legislators against AFSPA”, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement, was kicked off by Rohullah at Behshet-e-Zehra park in Budgam, an RTI spokesperson said.
“I am supporting the revocation of the AFSPA campaign wholeheartedly and appeal to all the legislators to stand against this anti-human law,” the RTI spokesperson quoted Rohullah as saying.
Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement Shaikh Ghulam Rasool said the organisation would approach every legislator of the state to seek their support against AFSPA. “It will also act as an acid test for the legislators to see whether they are only after power or concerned about their people as well,” he said.
He said the signature campaign would act as a civil referendum against AFSPA and other draconian laws.
