A day after the Congress released its manifesto, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised the party for promising to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Sitharaman said that the proposal amounted to undermining the security forces as it would 'tie their hands and legs' by 'diluting their immunity'. Congress, in its manifesto, promised to 'amend AFSPA... to strike a balance between the powers of the security forces and the human rights of citizens and to remove immunity for enforced disappearance, sexual violence and torture'.
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