evidence: Congress' manifesto promise to amend AFSPA is effort to weaken Armed Forces: Nirmala Sitharaman [...] Nirmala Sitharaman lashed out at Congress for its 2019 general election manifesto promising to amend the AFSPA [...] New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress for its 2019 general election manifesto promising to amend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act – AFSPA.