Rijiju condemns Chidambaram for 'opportunistic' AFSPA comment

Minister for State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday lashed out at Congress leader P. Chidambaram for his comment on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), saying that making such comments when polls are round the corner was incorrect.

"Chidambaram's statement is very opportunistic and unfortunate. When he was the home minister of India, he knows what was the situation and under what condition and situation this law has been implemented or enforced. Now, just because he is out of power and there is an election in Jammu and Kashmir, you should not just make a statement with regards to AFSPA," said Rijiju.

"These are very sensitive matters and decided after getting inputs from all agencies, specially the security agencies and intelligence agencies. So, as a minister, we have to take care of the country's security first and then the concern of human rights is also equally important. These are something which you have to take a balanced view and balanced act. You cannot make any frivolous statement just because you are out of power," he added.

Chidambaram had yesterday welcomed the army's decision to grant life sentences to five personnel in Machil fake encounter case in Jammu and Kashmir, and termed AFSPA an "obnoxious law" which had no place in a modern and civilised country.

He had also asked the BJP government to introduce a bill to amend AFSPA during the Winter Session of Parliament.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy had called Chidambaram's statement 'idiotic', and assured that AFSPA would not be diluted under any circumstances. He said if militancy in Kashmir continues, AFSPA would be strengthened.