Mehbooba Mufti, president of Peoples Democratic Party, the main opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday said that by ruling out reduction of troops and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the Union government was compromising the fundamentals of the country's standing as a democratic nation.
Stressing on "progressively" decreasing the footprints of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said conciliation and dialogue will always remain the best medium for seeking a solution to all contentious issues.
Activist Irom Sharmila Chanu, who was on Monday charged with attempting suicide for her fast unto death here in 2006 while demanding repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, said she is following Mahatma Gandhi's principle of non-violence and should not be "discriminated" against.
Kashmiri separatists on Monday rejected the suggestion made by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind, the powerful body of Deobandi clerics, at its Kashmir conference at Deoband that 'the issue should be resolved within the parameters of the Constitution of India.'
After his tough talk with the army for withdrawing Armed Forces Special Powers Act from parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his government has the authority to revoke the controversial law and sought a 'workable' solution from the army.
The ruling Congress has pledged to improve the law and order situation in Manipur and withdraw the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act if voted to power in the assembly election.
Phase-wise revocation of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and return of power projects to Jammu and Kashmir are the two most important wishes of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Irom Sharmila, has been fasting for 9 years against a controversial law.
Army Chief General V K Singh has said people asking for withdrawal or dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir are doing it for "narrow political gains".
In what was perhaps the most critical meeting before full-scale war broke out, Shastri defined India's immediate war objectives to his defence minister, army, and air force chiefs: 'To defend against Pakistan's attempts to grab Kashmir by force and to make it abundantly clear that Pakistan would never be allowed to wrest Kashmir from India; To destroy the offensive power of Pakistan's armed forces...' A fascinating excerpt from Shiv Kunal Verma's must-read 1965: A Western Sunrise India's War With Pakistan.
The villagers of Oting in Nagaland's Mon district and families of the 14 people killed in the shootings by security forces refused any government compensation until the personnel involved are 'brought to justice'.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said recommendations of two panels on replacing the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, in force in some northeastern states, with a more humane law would soon be placed before the Cabinet.
Irom Sharmila, Manipur's 'Iron Lady', on Monday completed 12 years of indefinite fast demanding repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
'She feels that undertaking the fast is what she is meant to do in life. She believes deeply that that's her purpose, and that's what God wants her to do,' says Deepti Priya Mehrotra, the author of Burning Bright: Irom Sharmila and the Struggle for Peace in Manipur.
Irom Sharmila with Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said he would raise the issues of partial revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) during the next internal security meeting in Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir, chief minister, Omar Abdullah assured the state assembly on Thursday that he will repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act 'if the situation continued to improve' in Kashmir.
Hundreds of protestors demanding full withdrawal of the act from the state pelted stones and destroyed a bus at Singjamei area, near Imphal.
The time is 'not right' for the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh said on Friday, emphasising that any decision on this 'should not be politicised'.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday asserted that India would not hesitate to act against terrorists who target the country from across the border.
Terming the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as "alarming", Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said the state administration had "completely collapsed" and the United Progressive Alliance government was about to "capitulate" before Pakistan- supported secessionists.
Irom Sharmila, has been fasting for 9 years against a controversial law.
Warning that partial revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Jammu and Kashmir will create "terrorist sanctuaries", Army chief General V K Singh has said dilution of the controversial Act will be 'detrimental' to national interest. the Army chief said, "Just one summer of peace does not mean normalcy. Diluting of AFSPA in any form will be detrimental to national interest."
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the efforts of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah are to denotify the Disturbed Areas from some places in the state, a move which will pave way for removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Amid renewed demands for repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference's alliance partner Congress on Wednesday said the time was not right for it and rejected the contention that the central government was being blackmailed by army on this.
A Delhi court on Monday framed charges against Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been on fast for about 12 years demanding repeal of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, for allegedly attempting to commit suicide during her 'fast until death' in the national capital in 2006.
Supporting Omar Abdullah's demand for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said the chief minister is "the boss" in the state and the Centre should take his views on the controversial Act.
The ruling National Conference President and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday asked his party spokesman Dr Mustaffa Kamal "to exercise restraint and follow the party policy line on all issues, particularly those pertaining to the policies of the coalition government, relationship with the Congress party, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the role of the army".
Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh on Monday opposed any dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir, saying any decision to revoke it from any part should be taken only after getting inputs from security agencies and stakeholders.
"The presence of troops in residential areas is a grave threat... the sooner the rulers understand this, the better," Mirwaiz said addressing a religious function at Reshi Mohalla locality of Habbakadal in downtown city, shortly after authorities lifted restrictions on his movement.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday said that two army divisions, comprising around 30,000 troops, have been moved out of Jammu and Kashmir due to improvement in the situation there.
'She feels that undertaking the fast is what she is meant to do in life. She believes deeply that that's her purpose, and that's what God wants her to do,' says Deepti Priya Mehrotra, the author of Burning Bright: Irom Sharmila and the Struggle for Peace in Manipur.
The BJP had no option but to get Jagdeep Dhankhar out of its way for the sake of the Modi government's stability, reveals Sheela Bhatt, the legendary political journalist.
Describing India as a "vibrant electoral democracy with an abysmal human rights record", a prominent international group on Moday urged to take steps to check rights violation by its security forces. The Human Rights Watch (HRW) also asked the country to remove all "immunity clauses" in its laws that protect abusers of human rights.
The People's Democratic Party on Sunday pledged 'absolute support to create an atmosphere conducive to initiate a serious effort for the resolution of Kashmir problem'.Addressing a public meeting in Jammu, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed spelled out four conditions 'for creation of a conducive atmosphere'. "Release of political prisoners as well as hundreds of innocent youth languishing in different jails is a must," he said.
Presenting the full text of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on May 12, 2025, in which he dictated India's new doctrines on countering terrorism.
The AFSPA was being "unnecessarily demonised" although it had "nothing to do with the present unrest (in Kashmir)", General Singh said while firmly sticking to his opposition to any withdrawal or even dilution of the Act which gives the Army vast powers to deal with insurgents.
Abdullah, who had meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi on Monday, said he had raised the issue of withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in a phased manner.
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