New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is locked in a battle with the Army over the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from some parts of his state, rounded off his attempt to "narrow down differences" over the issue with a breakfast meeting with Army Chief General V K Singh today.
On Monday, Mr Abdullah met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the government's chief trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee to discuss withdrawal of the military law from some parts of the state. The Chief Minister had called upon Defence Minister AK Antony on Sunday.
The J&K Chief Minister has told the Army that "no is not an option" when it comes to lifting the military law from areas where the state administration believes it is not needed any longer. After the meetings in Delhi, he said that there was a need to find common ground and that the effort was to try to balance national security and the aspirations of the people.
"Nobody came here expecting an immediate decision," Mr Abdullah said on Monday.
"I do understand that the Defence Minister and others have said that this is not a debate that should be conducted in public and I am all for a quiet discussion on this," the Chief Minister added. Mr Antony has termed the issue of withdrawal of the AFSPA as "very, very sensitive" and wants it to be handled in a "very mature and cool manner".
The Chief Minister, however, sought to underplay his differences with the Army top brass and said, "It is unfortunate that this entire exercise issue has been painted as Omar vs the Army. It has never been this. The state government is only going forward on what the CCS had recommended. This is not an 'Omar wages a war against the Army' or the 'Army is waging a war against Omar'. The various wings of the government ate trying to find a common meeting ground."
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra too met the Defence Minister and the Army Chief. The meetings assume significance after Mr Abdullah said that the authority to revoke AFSPA lay with the Governor "who would act on the basis of the state government's recommendations."
The Chief Minister had made an announcement a few weeks ago that the law would be lifted and has been in talks with the Army since, that had led to a stalemate. The Army is against lifting AFSPA from any region of the state, saying the time is not ripe for it. The confrontation seems to have reached a crescendo after a defiant Mr Abdullah said on Friday that he had the authority to revoke the contentious law.
The Army's objections to the proposed revocation stems purely from a long-term perspective although everyone agrees that 2011 has been an exceptionally peaceful summer. "AFSPA is an enabling act to counter terrorist operations. It has also to be seen in context of the proxy war. Pakistan continues to have its proxy infrastructure. Until we remove the terrorists fully, it's not time to partially revoke the AFSPA", Lt. General KT Parnaik, Commander of the Northern Army, had said.
On Monday, Mr Abdullah met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the government's chief trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee to discuss withdrawal of the military law from some parts of the state. The Chief Minister had called upon Defence Minister AK Antony on Sunday.
The J&K Chief Minister has told the Army that "no is not an option" when it comes to lifting the military law from areas where the state administration believes it is not needed any longer. After the meetings in Delhi, he said that there was a need to find common ground and that the effort was to try to balance national security and the aspirations of the people.
"Nobody came here expecting an immediate decision," Mr Abdullah said on Monday.
"I do understand that the Defence Minister and others have said that this is not a debate that should be conducted in public and I am all for a quiet discussion on this," the Chief Minister added. Mr Antony has termed the issue of withdrawal of the AFSPA as "very, very sensitive" and wants it to be handled in a "very mature and cool manner".
The Chief Minister, however, sought to underplay his differences with the Army top brass and said, "It is unfortunate that this entire exercise issue has been painted as Omar vs the Army. It has never been this. The state government is only going forward on what the CCS had recommended. This is not an 'Omar wages a war against the Army' or the 'Army is waging a war against Omar'. The various wings of the government ate trying to find a common meeting ground."
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra too met the Defence Minister and the Army Chief. The meetings assume significance after Mr Abdullah said that the authority to revoke AFSPA lay with the Governor "who would act on the basis of the state government's recommendations."
The Chief Minister had made an announcement a few weeks ago that the law would be lifted and has been in talks with the Army since, that had led to a stalemate. The Army is against lifting AFSPA from any region of the state, saying the time is not ripe for it. The confrontation seems to have reached a crescendo after a defiant Mr Abdullah said on Friday that he had the authority to revoke the contentious law.
The Army's objections to the proposed revocation stems purely from a long-term perspective although everyone agrees that 2011 has been an exceptionally peaceful summer. "AFSPA is an enabling act to counter terrorist operations. It has also to be seen in context of the proxy war. Pakistan continues to have its proxy infrastructure. Until we remove the terrorists fully, it's not time to partially revoke the AFSPA", Lt. General KT Parnaik, Commander of the Northern Army, had said.
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