‘AFSPA proving counter productive like today’s shocking incident’
SRINAGAR: Former Chief Minister and leader of the main opposition people’s Democratic party, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has called the killing of two youth by Army in north Kashmir’s Bandipora “barbaric”.
Mufti said that the army’s firing was “totally unwarranted” and “reflected how deeply the culture of impunity had become entrenched in the state.”
“Such barbaric incidents seem unstoppable for the present dispensation,” he told a gathering of workers at Yaripora in Kulgam district.
Expressing his deep shock over the “brutal killing”, the PDP leader said the incident once again exposed the sorry state of affairs prevailing in the state.
He regretted that the state agencies were washing away all efforts of the people to give democratic process a chance.
Mufti said that there was lawlessness in the state and everybody, including security personnel, got away with atrocities.
“This is not the idea of India that we want people of the state to subscribe to,” he said, adding “Today’s killing of two youth has once again validated PDP’s view that army has to be relocated from the civilian areas and there has to be gradual demilitarization of civilian space.”
Expressing solidarity with the families of two youth, Mufti said today’s incident highlighted that it was time for New Delhi to repeal the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
“We needed laws like AFSPA when the state was bristling with thousands of gun wielding youth, but not any more when such laws are proving counter productive like today’s shocking incident.”
