Omar Abdullah hits back at Congress over AFSPA withdrawal issue

Commenting on state Congress President Saifuddin Soz's statement, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said he would hold talks with the alliance party over plans to withdraw the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
 
Soz had slammed Abdullah for not consulting the Congress or the home minister on the AFSPA issue.
 
"I am not going to react to what Professor Saifuddin Soz has said. As a chief minister, I am well aware of my responsibilities of consultation and carrying my alliance partners with me. Consultation at various levels with the army has taken place, continues to take place," Abdullah told the media here.
 
"A formal discussion in the unified command in which the Deputy Chief Minister is also a member has taken place from time to time. This issue will necessarily come up for discussion when the issue is presented to the cabinet in the form of a memo from the home department," he added.
 
He also said Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has been kept in the loop on the matter.
 
Abdullah further said that Soz is free to talk about the AFSPA at the coalition's coordination committee meet.
 
"If the coordination committee wishes to discuss this idea or this issue then as the head of the coordination committee Saifuddin Soz is well within his rights to call a meeting of the coordination committee and to discuss this issue. I am not a member of the coordination committee and therefore it is not for me to bring this issue there. I would be grateful, if the coordination committee has any inputs, they are welcome to share those with me. As head of the cabinet and as head of the unified command, I have brought this issue where it has been necessary for me to bring it to," he added.