Demanding that Pakistan should be declared as ‘a terrorist and rogue State’, several BJP legislators on Tuesday lodged strong protests in the State Assembly against the killing of three policemen in a fresh militant strike in Shopian. Soon after the House reconvened, the BJP legislators shouted anti-Pakistan slogans. The BJP legislators also took tough stand against any attempt to start phased revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas of the State.
On Monday, the Chief Minister in a written reply had said the Government would work towards a phased withdrawal of the controversial AFSPA from areas in the State that are free from militancy for some time. During the vocal protest, the BJP legislators were also seen displaying placards with slogans ‘say not to AFSPA removal’.
While the BJP legislators came near the Well of the House, the PDP legislators maintained silence. Congress and National Conference legislators tried to create wedge between the alliance partners by exposing the emerging fault lines between the two parties with divergent viewpoint on the contentious issue of revocation of AFSPA.
leader of the Opposition in the House, Omar Abdullah, also took a dig at Mufti. He said the CM has rushed to New Delhi to explain his comment on the decision to revoke the Act. Commenting on the micro blogging site Omar wrote,”So Mufti has rushed to New Delhi to explain the PM and HM that he did not mean it when he said he would take a decision to revoke AFSPA.”
National Conference MlAs sitting in the front row were also heard shouting slogans against the alliance Government. NC MlA, Ali Mohammad Sagar, said both PDP and BJP had no consensus on certain issues.
“On one hand, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed says the AFSPA withdrawal will take place in a phased manner but the BJP members are opposing the revocation of the Act.” Congress leader, Nawang Rigzin Jora, said the coalition partners have a difference of opinion over the agendas which they incorporated in Common Minimum Programme.
Meanwhile, a BJP MlA from ladakh said the body of one of the martyred policemen has not yet been shifted to his native village following which the NC members staged a protest in the well of the House.
They said it is a ‘disrespect’ to the jawan and his body should be immediately airlifted to his home town. Minister Abdul Haq Khan, on behalf of the Government, said the chopper was already pressed into service but due to inclement weather it could not take off. “Once the weather is clear, the body will be shifted to his place,” the Minister said.