Amid strong opposition of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to even partial revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and a volatile situation in the Kashmir Valley, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is slated to meet here on Monday evening to discuss a peace package for the violence-hit region.
"The meeting is likely to held on Monday evening even though we have not announced it so far," said an official in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, who is chairperson of the CCS, and the defence minister, Mr A.K. Antony, will be busy at the Combined Commanders' Conference here on Monday morning. Mr Antony said in Thiruvananthapuram Sunday that the CCS would meet on Monday.
Besides the Prime Minister and Mr Antony, the CCS comprises the home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, the finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee and the external affairs minister, Mr S.M. Krishna.
The BJP has warned the government against withdrawing the AFSPA from some districts of Kashmir. "Any such move will demoralise the security forces deployed in the state," party spokesperson, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, told reporters here on Sunday.
A meeting of top leaders of the BJP, presided over by senior leader, Mr L.K. Advani, here demanded that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mr Omar Abdullah, be replaced by a "more acceptable person".