early times report
Jammu, Dec 11: ET stands vindicated with categorical assertion by the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde that even partial revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is not possible in near future.
The Home Minister had yesterday said: the issue (revocation of AFSPA) could be settled only after peace is resorted in Kashmir… It can't be withdrawn unless it is quite and calm in the State."
ET had been consistently reporting that Centre, especially the new Home Minister Shinde, who is former IPS officer, is averse to the idea of lifting, even partially, this Act from the state. The idea was politically hot balloon floated by the chief minister to stay politically relevant.
The hot balloon managed to carry some weight when P Chidambaram was the Home Minister. However, he could not manage to push this envelope amid still opposition from the Army and his other senior cabinet colleagues.
Omar had been clamouring for the revocation of AFSPA for about two-year. He had even publicly stated that it will be partially revoked from Jammu and Sriangar districts before the opening of Durbar in Jammu. However, two-year since, it hasn't happened.
To sound politically sound, and in an attempt to assuage separatists sentiment in Kashmir, he even accused Army a number of times for having blocked this proposal.
"I don't understand the logic of Army on this account (AFSPA)," Omar had told a national daily.The assertion by the union minister comes as double-whammy for Omar Abdullah.
It comes at a time, when MLC results have shown that its politically grip is loosing fast and thin. Even though, NC and more so chief minister is hailing the victory of all candidates as defeat of the PDP, but privately many NC senior leaders admit that the results are warning signals for the NC.
According to sources, Omar after analyzing the results with his coterie, is pushing the idea of pre-poll alliance with the Cong and is pressurizing union minister and his father Dr Farooq Abdullah to stitch an alliance. However, the state leadership is opposed to this idea.
Commenting on defeat of India against England, Omar had tweeted that India has done well by avoiding innings defeat. However, assertion by the home minister had clearly politically bowled out the chief minister.
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