Centre To Consider Revoking AFSPA, Plans To Pull Back Troops From J-K In Place: Amit Shah

Amit Shah said in the last five years, not a single fake encounter has taken place. Rather, he added, the FIRs have been lodged against the people involved in fake encounters.

Amit Shah Shah said the government has plans to pull back troops in the UT. ( Image Source :PTI )

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the centre will consider revoking Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir.

In an interview with the JK Media Group, Shah said the government has plans to pull back troops in the UT and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone.

"We have plans to pull back troops and leave law and order to the Jammu and Kashmir Police alone. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir police was not trusted but today they are leading the operations," Amit Shah said, according to PTI.

Speaking on the controversial law, the home minister said, "We will also think of revoking AFSPA."

The AFSPA gives the armed forces, operating in the disturbed areas, powers to search, arrest and to fire if they deem it necessary for "the maintenance of public order". An area or a district is notified as disturbed under AFSPA to facilitate the operations of the armed forces, the report said.

Shah had earlier said the AFSPA has been removed in 70% areas in the northeastern states even though it is in operation in J-K. He further said the assembly elections will be held in J-K before September.

"Enshrining democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise and it will be fulfilled. However, this democracy will not be confined to three families alone and will be a people's democracy," he reportedly said.

The Supreme Court had directed to conduct the assembly polls in the UT before September this year.

On the issues that have emerged around the reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs, Shah said for the first time, the OBCs of J-K have been given reservation by the Modi government and women have been given one-third reservation.

The Centre is determined to ensure that these benefits percolate to the grassroots level, he said.

Shah claimed that National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tried their best to create acrimony on these reservations but the people have understood their intentions now.

"The number of fake encounters that took place during their time has never been matched by any other regime," he went on to say.

Shah said in the last five years, not a single fake encounter has taken place. Rather the FIRs have been lodged against the people involved in fake encounters, he added.