Azad finds support in Cong MLAs, allies

Vineetha Mokkil / TNN / Mar 29, 2007, 01:25 IST

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CM Ghulam Nabi Azad received support from Congress MLAs and small parties on his opposition to reducing troops in J&K.

JAMMU: Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday received support from Congress MLAs and small parties on his opposition to reducing troops in J&K as demanded by ruling coalition partner PDP.
At a meeting held at the CM's residence on Tuesday, representatives of MLAs of People's Democratic Front (PDF), Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Panthers Party (JKNPP) and Congress MLAs and MLCs unanimously endorsed Azad's stance that the ground situation was not conducive to troops cut and revoking the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The Opposition National Conference, however, said it was in favour of reducing troops to pre-1989 levels since militancy-related violence has come down. The party also demanded that security forces must vacate all land and buildings which have been occupied illegally. But NC chief Omar Abdullah termed the Centre's decision to set up a review committee after talks with PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed as a "face saver" for the coalition partner.
"The PM had already clarified in a written response to Sayeed that immediate reduction of troops is impossible," said Abdullah. Since the Centre and state governments have access to intelligence inputs on the security situation, the timing of the decision on troop cuts is in their hands, he said.
He said the PDP demand was part of its "political agenda" for the assembly elections next year.
The state unit of the BJP has threatened to launch a campaign if troops are withdrawn. "In a sensitive state like
Jammu and Kashmir which shares borders with China and Pakistan, reduction of troops is out of the question," said Ashok Khajuria, president, BJP state unit.

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