Amid continuing unrest in the Kashmir Valley, the Congress Core Group, which met on Friday evening at 7, Race Course Road here, remained divided on the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the State. Top Congress sources said the party's apex decision-making body, of which both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are members, felt that the problems in the State could not be resolved merely by withdrawing the AFSPA. Caution should be exercised as “any quick step could create further repercussions,” these sources added.
The meeting took cognisance of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's repeated requests that the AFSPA be either amended or partially withdrawn, a position that has backing in the Union government only from Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Defence Minister A.K. Antony, on the other hand, strongly opposed its withdrawal. Sources added that the majority view at the meeting was that the government could not afford to antagonise the Army. To Mr. Abdullah's request that the AFSPA should be withdrawn from four districts, it was pointed out that the Army was not present in the districts of Srinagar, Jammu, Samba and Ganderbal. It was also stressed that the law and order situation had to be sorted out, with mention made of Mr. Abdullah's administrative record.
There was also a view that the Bharatiya Janata Party's opposition to the withdrawal of the AFSPA would also have to be factored into any decision, as Kashmir is a sensitive issue.
However, these sources added, the government is considering some other measures including compensation for the families of the 69 civilians killed by security forces in the last three months, jobs and rehabilitation for surrendered militants and release of arrested youth and withdrawal of stone throwing cases.
The Cabinet Committee on Security will meet soon to take a final view on the issues.
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