New Delhi, October 11: Differences on the proposed amendment in the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) seem to be persist between the Ministries of Defence and Home and the government is unlikely to table the bill to this effect in the Winter Session of Parliament.
Highly placed sources said today that Defence Ministry has strong reservations over certain proposed provisions of AFSPA and has contended that if these come into effect, it would leave the army severely handicapped to operate in troubled areas like the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.
The army has conveyed its apprehensions to the Ministry that replacing AFSPA or any dilution could hamper its operational capabilities to effectively deal with militancy and insurgency.
“Despite best efforts, the Home Ministry has not been able to remove the apprehensions of the army brass and hence the delay. We don’t think the amendment bill will be tabled in the Winter Sessions of Parliament,” a source said.
Home Minister P Chidambaram is also understood to have tried to allay the apprehensions of the army on the AFSPA while addressing top commanders of the armed forces at a meeting here today.
Last month, Chidambaram had said a fresh attempt was being made to build consensus within the government to amend AFSPA.
—-PTI—-