AFSPA row: Omar meets Chidambaram and says 'discussions will continue'

New Delhi, Nov. 14 (ANI): Asserting that discussions on the issue of undertaking a partial withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would continue, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said his effort would be to narrow differences between the armed forces and his government.

Abdullah, who has been pitching for the removal of AFSPA from those areas where normalcy has returned, met Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram here to discuss the issue.

"If need be, these discussions will continue. Obviously, the effort is to narrow differences between what we would like to see happening and what the Army has so far publicly stated as comfortable to let happen. I believe that there is ample opportunity to address both the concerns that the Armed Forces have, while still allowing us to go ahead with the position that we have taken, which is keeping with what the Cabinet Committee on Security recommended way back almost a year ago," he told mediapersons after the meeting.

The Army has voiced serious reservations over withdrawal of the AFSPA from certain parts, citing security concerns.

Talking about his meeting with Chidambaram, Abdullah said he had also discussed some of the ongoing works vis-a-vis the rehabilitation of migrants in Jammu and Kashmir apart from the issue of partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

"The partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was one of a number of issues that I discussed with the Home Minister. We reviewed the overall security environment in the state, particularly in light of the fact that the officers have moved from Srinagar to Jammu for the winter. We also discussed some of the ongoing works vis-a-vis the rehabilitation of migrants etc.," said Abdullah.

Omar Abdullah, who met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh earlier in the day, is also scheduled to meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee tonight to discuss the issue of withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Obviously, the ongoing discussion about the partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was discussed. I am in the process of meeting all the members of the Cabinet Committee on Security. I met 'Raksha Mantri' (Defence Minister A.K. Antony) yesterday; I met Prime Minister earlier this morning. I just concluded a meeting with the Home Minister; I am scheduled to meet the Finance Minister later tonight. This will conclude my first round of discussions with the Cabinet Committee on Security," he said.

Omar Abdullah had earlier on Sunday met Defence Minister A K Antony to press for early removal of the Act from certain parts of the state.

The Defence Ministry had earlier made it clear that the decision on removing AFSPA would be taken by the Unified Command.

To a poser on allegations that he was trying to deflect certain issues within Kashmir by using the AFSPA, Omar Abdullah said: "Please understand, if you go back in time a little bit, I have been talking about the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and its possible partial rollback almost since the day I became Chief Minister. And that is long before there was anything that as you would say needed to be deflected. I am not in the business of playing politics with national security. I never have been and I never will be." (ANI)

The Jammu and Kashmir Government had earlier hinted to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas in the state. (ANI)