Amid talk of withdrawing the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir,Army chief General V K Singh today said his force had given necessary inputs on the issue,but refused to specify them saying the matter was under the purview of the Home Ministry. This (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) is within the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs. They are debating this and we have given our inputs. I would not like to say anything more, he told reporters on the sidelines of Infantry Day celebrations here. Asked about National Conference leader Mustafa Kamal's remarks that the October 25 grenade blasts in Srinagar were orchestrated by the Army,Singh said,Whoever has made this comment. does not deserve the courtesy of any remark from me. The Army has advocated that the AFSPA be in force to deal with terrorism in the state. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had yesterday said the withdrawal of the Act from some districts of the state such as Srinagar,Badgam,Samba and Jammu was in no way an effort to undermine the role of the Army. The Army is essentially playing a major role in anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir, he had said. The process of removing AFSPA from certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir is being done in close consultation with the Army and other central paramilitary forces and their inputs and security concerns will be evaluated and considered while removing the footprint of AFSPA from certain parts of the state, he had said. The chief minister had said an attempt was being made to create an impression that the state government and the Army were working on divergent paths,which was not correct,he asserted. Omar had said it was nobody's case to demonise the Army as it has proved time and again that it is a disciplined force governed by certain standard operating procedures.
