E-Paper
‘Better late than never’, CPI(M) urges Centre for repeal of AFSPA
Senior CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami said unbridled powers enjoyed by security forces have led to egregious human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir and in North east states
Senior CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami on Sunday demanded immediate repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir, a day after defence minister Rajnath Singh said that all three wings of the armed forces are in favour of removal of the act from the region.
Tarigami said the party has been reiterating the removal of the controversial AFSPA since long from both Jammu and Kashmir and North East.
“Although the government’s realisation to remove the law is late, it is better late than never,” Tarigami said in a statement.
“The unbridled powers enjoyed by security forces have led to egregious human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir and in North east states,” he said.
“Kashmir has been witnessing gross human rights abuses since the draconian law was enacted in 1990,” he said. The CPI (M) leader gave example of the 2020 Shopian encounter, in which three civilians were killed and dubbed as militants.
“The 2020 Amshipora, Shopian stage-managed encounter in which three poor labourers from Rajouri were killed and later passed off as militants is the recent addition to the list of fake encounters,” he said.
