JD(S) promises to fight for repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers

Imphal, Jan 19 (UNI) The JD(S), which will field six candidates in the assembly election in Manipur, has promised to work for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, Mr Danish Ali, General Secretary of Janata Dal (Secular) said.

The state had witnessed widespread protests against the Act, especially from women's organisations, which demanded that it should be withdrawn as army personnel were misusing power.

Mr Ali also claimed the Congress will be trounced in Manipur, Uttarakhand and Punjab, which will go to polls next month. He said a third front will emerge as a strong force and it will be formed without the Congress and the BJP, he told UNI.

He flayed the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for its 'inability' to even condemn the killing of Saddam Hussien at Iraq.

''Saddam was an ally of India and Iraq was the first country after India to recognise Bangladesh after its liberation,'' he said, and added, Saddam had stood by India at every crisis, be it Kashmir or any other matter. ''But the Indian government simply described the killing as unfortunate,'' he rued.

The Congress government in the state had also failed to take up developmental work. The poor were getting poorer, he said. The growth rate in the north eastern region, specially Manipur, was around 3 to 4 per cent while that in the rest of the country was around seven per cent, he said.

UNI