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.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Peoples Democratic Party are "trying hard" to find a common ground on issues like Article 370 and Armed Forces Special Powers Act on which the two parties have traditionally held different views, a senior leader of BJP said on Saturday.
The petitioners, however, challenged the government's contention, saying this was an attempt to "overawe" the court
Making a strong pitch for phased removal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday asked the Centre to set in motion a mechanism which could guide in repealing of the act from the state.
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.
Pushing for partial withdrawal of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday discounted suggestions that this will benefit terrorists, saying it is time to believe in the state police and paramilitary forces
In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN's Senior Editor Suhasini Haider, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah admits the lapses in the rehabilitation policy for surrendered militants following the fiasco over the arrest of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Liaqat Ali Shah.
Activist Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been on fast for more than 12 years demanding repeal of the 'draconian' Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, was re-arrested by state police, officials said on Thursday.
The Army has taken a strong stand against any dilution or amendment to the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act, making it difficult for the government to move forward on this proposal, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Wednesday.
Human rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila, who has been charged with the offence of attempt to commit suicide by fasting, was on Monday released from judicial custody.
Pushing for partial lifting of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday asked all stake holders concerned to shed their rigidity to help take a decision based on the ground situation and for the benefit of people of the state.
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.
General Officer in Command of the strategically located XV Corps Lt Gen B S Raju said the Summary of Evidence has been completed but refused to give away any details of the outcome.
The Centre does not want to keep the military in Kashmir 'for long' but a decision on removing the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act will be taken only after some time, says Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
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'.
A court in Imphal has ordered the release of social activist Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been on a fast for more than 12 years to demand the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur.First Class Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East, on Tuesday ordered the release of Irom Sharmila, who was arrested on charges of attempt to commit suicide.
Irom Sharmila, Manipur's 'Iron Lady', on Monday completed 12 years of indefinite fast demanding repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
"I have made no bones about the fact that we should have made more progress on that (AFSPA). I believe we are comfortably placed for the phase-wise removal of the AFSPA," he told reporters after presiding over the Police Martyrs' Day function at Zewan in the outskirts of Srinagar.
Shah said that the people of the country will decide about the principal opposition party to BJP in the 2024 polls and they have not given this label to any party.
The government on Wednesday said that time was "not appropriate" for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Jammu and Kashmir.
The Tripura government has extended implementation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act for another six months to take stringent action against militancy in the state, official sources said on Sunday.
Exploiting the killings to ratchet up the tension in the region and harden negotiating positions with the central government serves nobody, least of all the people of Nagaland. The peace process must not be stalled because of this incident or distracted by calls to repeal the AFSPA, argues Vivek Gumaste.
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.
Breaking their silence after four days of a shoot-out in which 13 of their village youth died in firing by Para commandos, the Oting Citizens Office, representing Oting village in Nagaland's remote Mon district on Wednesday rubbished official claims and asserted security forces had tried to hide the dead bodies and dress them in fatigues in a bid to pass them off as militants after a botched up ambush.
Demand for repeal of the act found echoes in the nation's Parliament with National People's Party (NPP) MP Agatha Sangma, a former Minister in the United Progressive Alliance government, terming the act as 'the elephant in the room which (needs to) be addressed' and seeking the 'draconian' Act be repealed.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday expressed confidence that the day is not far when the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act will be withdrawn from the state very much during the tenure of his government.
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".
Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth, Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma and Home Secretary RK Singh were taken by surprise when the Army's Northern Command told them that there had been no consultations on the subject of revocation of the AFSPA even once in 2011. The chief minister's declaration was totally unilateral, the three top secretaries to the Government of India were told
At least five civilians were injured in yet another hand grenade explosion in south Kashmir town of Bejibehara, 45 kms from Srinagar on Wednesday afternoon.
Now, the chief minister is under pressure to make good his promise after the December 4 incident in Nagaland's Mon, where 14 people were killedAFSPA has eclipsed all other achievements of the Biren Singh government.
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said his position on controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir has not changed and the Centre is considering three amendments proposed by his ministry to the 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.
The 'Iron Lady of Manipur' Irom Chanu Sharmila, who has been on a hunger strike since 2000 demanding repeal of Armed Forces Special Power Act, will be completing 12 years of fast on Monday.
Manab Adhikar Sangram Samity, an Assam-based human rights body has intensified its movement demanding repeal of the 'draconian' Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 alleging that it has caused immense suffering for innocent civilians in the region at the hands of security forces.
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.
Three decades after it was imposed in Manipur to deal with insurgents, the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is still an issue used by parties during electioneering for the January 28 assembly poll in the state.
The Central Reserve Police Force has sought the cover of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for its men conducting anti-Naxal operations at a time when continuance of the controversial Act in areas of Jammu and Kashmir and the North East is being debated.
Intelligence inputs received by various army formations in Jammu and Kashmir appear to suggest that infiltration is on the rise after the state government's move for a partial withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
Amid a raging debate over AFSPA, a focused internal political dialogue must be launched in Kashmir to reassure the army that yet another hard-won peace will not be squandered by political lethargy, writes Ajai Shukla
Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said the militant attack on a Jammu and Kashmir minister in Srinagar proved that the prevailing situation in the state does not allow withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
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