Omar Abdullah hopes Modi will look to revoke AFSPA

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said there has been "double-digit reduction in violence" in the state so the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take a look at revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

"Taking 2008-2009 as the base, the decline in militancy has been of the order of 60 to 70 percent in the state," Abdullah said while attending the Police Commemoration Day function in Srinagar.

"A few reasons were there...not to proceed on the AFSPA. Particularly the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan. We were led to believe that the year 2014 was going to be a violent year for the state because the withdrawal of the international forces from Afghanistan would lead to an increase in militancy in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

"That has not happened. Therefore, regardless of what happens over the next few months, I do hope the Modi government will take a serious look at the issue of the AFSPA, more so now, given the fact that there has been considerable decrease in violence in the state," he said.