Antony, Chidambaram clash over AFSPA withdrawal

Union Defence Minister A K Antony is learnt to have disapproved of the proposal mooted by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in four districts in Jammu and Kashmir as it would affect the confidence of the armed forces, which were already managing in very difficult circumstances.

His contention was that either the AFSPA should be enforced in the entire state or removed entirely. Antony was of the view that just as common people were entitled to self-defence, the same right rested with the army and they were also entitled to defend themselves.

Antony gave this brief to the Congress Core Committee which met on Friday evening to discuss the law and order situation in the state and to deliberate on Omar Abdullah's request to the prime minister to find a solution and bring back peace in the Valley, which has in recent times been torn apart by violence.

The centre has been keen to offer the state, what is being called an Eid peace package but so far the centre and its leaders are continuing to grope for a resolution with the core committee failing to speak in one voice on what needed to be done.

It is learnt that there were differences between the senior congress leaders on what was the best way forward. The differences were there particularly between Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister Antony, who was obviously articulating the views and feelings of the army when he spoke at the meeting.

Apart from the core committee members, leaders from Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Saifuddin Soz were invited to the meeting, apart from Prithviraj Chavan--the AICC general secretary incharge of J&K.

It was said after the Core Committee meeting that the Cabinet Committee on Security would meet on Saturday to take up the deliberations from where the core committee finished and see if they could announce a package which would be acceptable to all the Congress leaders.

Sources said it was a tough call since the centre was attempting to balance the security needs of the army with the the state government which has sought a partial withdrawal of the AFSPA act. It is learnt that there was agreement over Chidambaram's stance that the centre needed to offer Kashmir a solution which would send out a message to the people that their concerns were being addressed but it was felt this should be done without antagonising the army whose views need to be kept at the forefront while taking a political call on what needed to be done.

There was also agreement that measures were required to curtail the violence.

Now with the ball firmly in the government's court with the CCS to meet to take the final call, sources say that the government is working on a middle path which would send a loud and clear message to the state as well as keep the larger interests of the armed forces in mind, while announcing the way forward on the Kashmir issue.