‘AFSPA amendment only after reviewing ground reality’

New Delhi, Feb 27: Government of India (GoI) Wednesday said any decision on amending Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will be taken only after taking into consideration the ground reality where it is in force and no time frame can be given on the issue of changing the controversial legislation. “The issue of repealing/amending AFSPA has been under consideration of the government and Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee and the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) have also made certain recommendations on the subject,” said Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran told Rajya Sabha.

                                                                  He said the Group of Ministers (GoM) has to take a final decision on the ARC recommendation. “On direction of the GoM, comments of the state governments concerned on the ARC recommendation have been called for.”

"On such security-related issued, all factors, including the ground reality are taken into consideration before taking a decision and hence no time limit can be specified," Ramachandran said. Several groups and political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and north eastern region have been demanding either repeal or amendment to AFSPA which has been in force in some of the disturbed regions in India.

Source: PTI