Army apologise to J&K CM Omar Abdullah for gaffe

An army general, in-charge of the sensitive northern sector, has offered an apology to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for a gaffe of a junior officer.

The apology comes from the Northern Army Commander Lt Gen. BS Jaswal for a recent unauthorised remark by the junior officer on several decisions of the Chief Minister.

The army general was quoted as saying that he personally called the CM of J&K on Wednesday and apologised to him for the unauthorised ‘press release,’ issued by his officer criticising the state government’s stand on Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and army presence in Srinagar.

Lt Gen. Jaswal told NDTV that he spoke with Omar Abdullah and said the view expressed by the Army PRO based in Udhampur on Tuesday was not the Army’s view.

The Northern Army Commander however said, ” the Army is firm on its stand that the much-criticised AFSPA is essential for providing legal protection to the troops operating in counter-insurgency environment.”

The unauthorised press release had criticised the decision to ‘thin out’ the troops in Srinagar as Omar Abdullah’s political compulsion.