Nirmala Sitharaman
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the Congress manifesto is not in national interest and indirectly helps terrorists and others working against the country.
She cited the Congress' promise to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and to repeal Section 124A (sedition law) of the Indian Penal Code to attack the party.
The AFSPA gives the armed forces certain protection from legal action in carrying out their operations in disturbed areas.
“Is this right? It is an effort to weaken the armed forces. They are trying to dilute the immunity of our security forces,” the defence minister said.
Sitharaman insisted that her party was not against withdrawing the AFSPA, if situation permitted it, but the Congress' promise to tweak its provisions, if voted to power, will allow terrorists and their friends to target security personnel with manufactured allegations.
The Modi government in tandem with respective state governments has withdrawn AFSPA from Meghalaya and Tripura and most parts of Assam, she said, asking that from how many places did the Congress remove it when it was in power during 2004-14.
On the Congress's stand that powers of armed forces and human rights should be balanced, she said it should not be presumed that the former is against the latter.
"It does not portend well for unity of the country and the morale of armed forces," she said, attacking the Congress.
Congress manifesto was released on Tuesday.
(With PTI inputs)
