BJP wants Assam Rifles to stay, for review of Act

Breaking its silence on Manipur, the BJP today supported the continuation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as well as the pres...

Breaking its silence on Manipur, the BJP today supported the continuation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) as well as the presence of Assam Rifles in the state. However, in view of the widespread revolt against its provisions, the party called for a ‘‘review’’ of certain sections of the Act.

BJP leader and newly appointed chairperson of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs Sushma Swaraj said Assam Rifles should not be withdrawn from the state as it was the only paramilitary force whose personnel were drawn exclusively from the Northeast. Replacing Assam Rifles with any other force would only worsen the situation, she felt.

In keeping with the BJP’s traditional support for a ‘‘hard state’’, the party is also not for withdrawal of the AFSPA. But as an Opposition party, it cannot ignore the anti-Government movement gaining ground in Manipur. Striving to take a middle path, Swaraj said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should initiate a ‘‘political dialogue’’ with the leaders of the people’s movement in Manipur.

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She said the AFSPA had been in operation since 1958 and some provisions of the Act — like Section 3, 4, and 6 needed to be reviewed. ‘‘Let there be a dialogue and a review on what aspects of the Act should be changed, what should be given up…if the entire state is against it, let there be a review,’’ she said.

When Swaraj was contacted later on the state government’s decision to withdraw the Act, she said the party leadership would study the situation and give a reaction tomorrow.

The matter is also certain to come up at the Standing Committee of Home Affairs which is scheduled to hold it’s first formal meeting tomorrow.