Time not opportune for AFSPA revocation

Srinagar, Nov 15: Minister of State for External Affairs and former Army Chief Gen (Retd) V K Singh Saturday appealed to separatist to come forward for a dialogue for sake of better Jammu and Kashmir. BJP leader who addressed media in Srinagar after meeting party leaders said that there is no bar on separatist leaders to meet anybody. “Anybody can come and meet us. The biggest problem is that they (separatists) don’t come up,” he said.
Singh added that his message to the people who are separatist is that they should come forward and engage with us. “Come forward and let us find a way which should be good for Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Responding to a question, V.K.Singh said that the ultimate aim to transfer money directly to the bank accounts of flood victim is to annihilate the brokers who take undue advantage and deprive the victims from the sum which they deserve. “We want to ensure that the assistance that will come from the Union Government should reach to the deserved ones,” he added.
Taking a dig on State Government for not collecting data about the damage caused due to floods, former Army Chief according to news agency said that if State Government wants a package of Rs 44,000 crores for the flood victims, then it has to complete all the formalities. “Has State Government collected whole data about the devastation that floods caused. Did it mention how many houses were destroyed and did it include people in this process,” he questioned adding that State Government should explain what yardstick they have adopted in assessing these losses.
To a query about Machil Encounter, Singh said that Army has done its job and awarded punishment to the guilty. “It is up to people to judge the decision of the Army. Army awarded judgment within a span of four years while a Civil Court takes years in resolving such issues,” he said.
Singh claimed that revocation of Article 370 was never a poll plank of BJP but it was only development that was the poll plank of BJP. “Our party had said that we should relook at all the issues in the country that are source of nuisance and had never claimed that we will revoke or amend Article 370,” he claimed.
Expressing confidence about party’s victory in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, Minister of State for External Affairs claimed that the party (BJP) will do extremely well because none of the parties, mainstream or otherwise in Jammu and Kashmir has brought in development for people. “We have seen what kind of development is taking place here and we have seen what has happened in the recent floods. I can keep narrating incidents to you where the governments have floundered out here,” he said adding that none of these parties have benefited the people so far and so I think a time has come for the people to choose a party which will stand by them in the developmental needs of the state,” he said.
Responding to a question, Singh maintained that time is not opportune for the revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). “The way people are being intimidated and asked to boycott the polls clearly indicates that time is not ripe for the revocation of AFSPA. Let the Assembly elections be over and a time will come this law will be repealed,” he said. (CNS)