Tough call for govt as CCS meets tomorrow on Kashmir - Hindustan Times

Tough call for govt as CCS meets tomorrow on Kashmir - Hindustan Times

Tough call for govt as CCS meets tomorrow on Kashmir

Press Trust Of India

New Delhi, September 10, 2010First Published: 19:41 IST(10/9/2010)

Last Updated: 20:49 IST(10/9/2010)

Differences over Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir cropped up at the Congress Core Group discussions in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting on the issue on Saturday as government appeared to be treading a cautious path. After the 90-minute meeting attended by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, indications emerged that the government faced a tough call as it wants to balance the security needs vis-a-vis the state government's demand for partial withdrawal of the controversial act from the state.

The CCS meeting has been convened on Saturday amidst speculation that the Centre could come out with some announcement on the occasion of Eid.

At the meeting also attended by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Congress President's political secretary Ahmed Patel, Defence Minister AK Antony and Home Minister P Chidambaram aired divergent views on the demands on AFSPA withdrawal.

Prithviraj Chavan, AICC in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, and senior party leaders from the state Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saifuddin Soz also attended the meeting.

Reflecting the security establishment's apprehensions, Antony opposed any decision to even partially withdraw AFSPA while Chidambaram is understood to have emphasised the need for some political action to break the impasse in the valley, sources said.

Antony is believed to have cautioned that the Army should not be projected as a "demon", the sources said.

There was a view that the four districts of the state from where AFSPA's withdrawal is being demanded by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has no Army presence, they said.

It was also pointed out that there is no guarantee that stone pelting, which has been going on for three months, would stop even if the AFSPA is withdrawn from these districts, the sources said.

Chavan and Azad also disfavoured any concessions as these could be seen as succumbing to pressure, they said.

Chidambaram told the meeting that the state government's demands would have to be considered and something should be given.

Significantly, before the Core Group meeting, three Service Chiefs called on the Prime Minister but the PMO said it had nothing to do with the Kashmir discussions.