SHILLONG, Sept 28 � The controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act has been �politicised to a large extent�, outgoing Director General of Assam Rifles Lt Gen Karan Singh Yadava had said, indicating that his force was not in favour of repealing it.
Yadava, who will retire from service on September 30, reasoned that the �man in uniform� needed protection.
�The insurgent is also holding a weapon and so the uniformed man needs to take spot decisions to safeguard government property and therefore he needs protection against being dragged to the courts for taking action in national interest,� the DG said, responding to a query.
�The matter is being debated extensively and the Centre and the State Governments should take a decision. The government should spell it out clearly what they want from the armed forces,� he said.
�In whatever form it is, the Act seeks to give certain amount of protection to the armed forces.�
�Why ask the armed forces about it? It has become fashionable to ask the uniformed fraternity about this, whereas none of us are misusing it. It is easy to say scrap it,� he said.
�If the authorities in power feel it (AFSPA) should not be there we are ready to function. We will function in accordance with the rules,� Yadava said.
�All over the world armed forces have stringent laws to protect themselves. It is nothing new that is happening in India. In fact, men in uniform in India have refrained from being politicised and have been performing with utmost humane effort,� he maintained.
The outgoing DGAR said the Indian Armed Forces had the best record in dealing with civilians as compared to forces in other countries. � PTI
