Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani said his party would oppose any move to revoke the armed forces special powers act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Opposing the plan to withdraw the AFSPA he said nothing should be done to weaken the position of the armed forces in the state. Talking to newsmen prior to the start of the ongoing jan chetna yatra here on Saturday he cautioned the UPA government against taking any hasty steps on AFSPA. He said it would be imprudent to lift the act for mere political reasons.
I dont think there is a need to withdraw the act in J&K. Army is doing a commendable job in the state. Nothing should be done to weaken its position there, he said.
When asked whether it can be applicable to Manipur also he said the situation in Manipur was different and could be considered. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been advocating the withdrawal of the AFSPA, which was imposed in the state in 1990, for quite some time
The BJP leader has lashed out at the ruling Congress for making its allies a scapegoat and getting way with a series of scams and scandals. Those who commit massive irregularities and cause serious loss to public revenue are being defended and protected in the most shameful manner, he said.
Terming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the weakest PM the country has ever had he said the PM could not take refuge in coalition dharma any more. Coalition dharma concerns matters of policy and not matters of integrity, he chided the PM. Whistle blowers in the cash for vote have been put behind bars and the beneficiaries have not been investigated. This really exposes the real face of the government, he said without taking the name of his aide Surendra Kulkarni, who is cooling his feet in Tihar jail.
{{/usCountry}}Terming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the weakest PM the country has ever had he said the PM could not take refuge in coalition dharma any more. Coalition dharma concerns matters of policy and not matters of integrity, he chided the PM. Whistle blowers in the cash for vote have been put behind bars and the beneficiaries have not been investigated. This really exposes the real face of the government, he said without taking the name of his aide Surendra Kulkarni, who is cooling his feet in Tihar jail.
{{/usCountry}}Talking about the recovery of a powerful bomb on his route in Tamil Nadu the other day he complimented the state government for the timely detection of the explosive. A pipe bomb packed with eight kg of explosives was discovered under a bridge near Madurai. The police have done a good job. I hope they will book those behind this incident soon, he said. After the two-day trip in the state the yatra would leave for neighbouring Karnataka on Sunday where the party may face some embarrassing moments. The arrest of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa in a corruption case has turned a big embarrassment for the BJP.