Revocation of AFSPA should be left to Centre: Ansari

September 10th, 2009 RANCHI - Vice President M Hamid Ansari on Thursday said with the number of lifestyle diseases increasing, healthcare facilities should be strengthened to meet future demands of the country. "The facilities we have is sufficient for now, but not sufficient for future," Ansari said while dedicating the new HCG Curie-Abdur Razzaque Ansari Cancer Institute (C-ARACI) to the nation.

August 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday appealed to the Centre and all the political parties to take a pragmatic view on the lifting of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) the state. Speaking at the chief ministers conference on internal security here, Abdullah also pressed the Centre to withdraw the special anti terror laws imposed in the state.

July 7th, 2009 SRINAGAR - Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday ruled out immediate withdrawal of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from the state, saying that the state police would have to expand in numbers, equipment and levels of training before taking any action. Abdullah, who had meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi on Monday, informed that he had raised the issue of withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in a phased manner.

June 22nd, 2009 SRINAGAR - Activists of People's Democratic Party (PDP) took to streets on Monday demanding action against those involved in the killing of two women in Shopian on May 29. The authorities deny of any misdemeanor and say all reports are investigated and the guilty will be punished.

June 12th, 2009 SRINAGAR - Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said that the Centre would look into the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and take into account every essential aspect. Addressing a press conference here, Chidambaram said, "The issue of AFSPA was flagged two months ago during a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday welcomed the revocation of National Security Act (NSA) charges against Varun Gandhi and termed the move as a 'rebuff to those who tried to implicate him'. 'It is a big rebuff to those who played vendetta politics and vote bank politics.

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Vice President Hamid Ansari today left for South Africa where he will represent India at the inauguration ceremony of new South African President Jacob Zuma on May 9. Ansari, who is on a three-day visit to South Africa, will attend the inauguration of Zuma, whose African National Congress (ANC) swept the general elections in the country held on April 22.

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Varun Gandhi Friday termed as a 'historic moment' the revocation of the National Security Act against him and said the 'authorities' would have to 'answer' for the 20 days he spent in detention. The BJP's Pilibhit candidate, who was slapped with the stringent NSA for his hate speeches against Muslims and jailed in March in Etah in Uttar Pradesh, said the revocation of the law against him was 'a historic moment, not just for me but for Indian democracy'.

May 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Vice President Hamid Ansari will represent India at the inauguration ceremony of new South African President Jacob Zuma on May 9, reflecting the importance New Delhi attaches to its ties with South Africa. Ansari will pay a three-day visit to South Africa from Friday to attend the inauguration of Zuma, whose African National Congress (ANC) swept the general elections in the country held on April 22.

April 27th, 2009 AGARTALA - Tripura's Left Front government has extended for another six months the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 (AFSPA), providing special powers to paramilitary troopers to curb separatist activity in the region, officials here said Monday. 'Though militancy has been tamed in the northeastern state of Tripura, the state government is averse to take any chances for some more time,' an official said.

April 9th, 2009 SHIMLA - Vice President Hamid Ansari will go down memory lane next week when he visits his alma mater St Edward's School in the Himachal Pradesh capital after more than half a century. Ansari, 70, who had studied in St Edward's during 1949-51, will spend some hours April 15 with scores of students, teachers and staff of the school.

April 8th, 2009 AGARTALA - The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958 (AFSPA) has become a major poll issue ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the northeastern region with demands for its repeal becoming louder. The AFSPA, which is now enforced in large parts of Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Nagaland and some parts of other northeastern states, gives armed forces special powers to kill and detain terror suspects in insurgency-prone areas.

April 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari today left on a three-day visit to Kuwait. During his visit, Ansari will hold talks with the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al Jaber Al Sabah on a wide range of issues.

March 21st, 2009 SRINAGAR - Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said here Friday that transparent action has been taken for the first time by his government against recent human rights violations. 'Violations of human rights would not be tolerated and transparent action has been initiated for the first time against those found involved in rights violations,' Abdullah told mediapersons here Friday.

March 19th, 2009 JAMMU - Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday said security scenario had improved in Jammu and Kashmir, but cautioned the state government to be on 'very high alert' in view of 'turmoil in Pakistan'.