In a move to seek clarification from the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on filing of FIR against army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has submitted a Calling Attention Motion in Rajya Sabha.
The controversy erupted after J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti claimed in the Assembly on January 29 that she contacted the Defence Minister and got clearance to register FIR against Army in the wake of firing in Shopian at a stone pelting crowd on January 27.
It is not sure the Rajya Sabha Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu will allow Swamy's Calling Attention Motion, which will mandate Nirmala Sitharaman to clarify Mehbooba's claim. For the past few days Swamy has been speaking to media and tweeting that the Defence Minister should clarify whether she had given clearance to register FIR, as claimed by Mehbooba.
On February 2, Swamy tried to raise the issue during the Zero House, but he failed as Rajya Sabha was adjourned on the protests by Congress MPs. He said he will again try to raise the issue in Zero Hour, besides filing Calling Attention Motion.
Keeping the issue alive, on Saturday Swamy tweeted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should seek clarification from Nirmala Sitharaman on this matter.
"It is time for PM to call for an explanation from Ms. Sitharaman as why she has not contradicted Mehbooba's claim that RM okayed FIR," tweeted Swamy. Several Army veterans have pointed out that since Shopian is covered under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), as per Section 7 of the Act, the Centre's clearance is a mandated to register FIR against Army personnel.
In her statement in the Assembly, Mehbooba said she consulted Defence Minister before filing FIR against the Army men.
"After the killings I immediately spoke to the Defence Minister and she was very positive. She told me that I should take action if any carelessness or anything wrong has happened.
It's after that we registered an FIR and ordered a magisterial inquiry," said Mehbooba. However Nirmala Sitharaman has not yet responded to the claim of the Chief Minister.