AFSPA
Nagaland firing: Neiphiu Rio govt wants repeal of AFSPA, will write to Centre
Kohima/IBNS: The Nagaland government will write to the central government seeking the repeal of the act (AFSPA), that gives total power to the Army in disturbed regions, in the wake of the backfire of counter-insurgency operation, which killed 14 civilians on Saturday.
The decision to write to the Centre against Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was taken in an urgent cabinet meeting.
Nagaland Chief Neiphiu Rio, an ally of the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said AFSPA should be removed as it is causing unrest and pain in the state.
"AFSPA gives powers to the Army to arrest civilians without any arrest warrant, raid houses and also kill people. But there is no action against the security forces. They have created a law and order situation," Rio said as quoted by NDTV.
Fourteen villagers including a soldier were killed after the Army's 21 Para Special Forces, according to police's First Information Report (FIR), "blankly opened fire" in Nagaland's Mon district.
In a statement in Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed regret over the incident, which has triggered fresh calls for the repeal of AFSPA.
Besides Nagaland, AFSPA is in place in Assam, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Arunachal Pradesh.
The act empowers the Army to arrest, shoot or kill anyone on the basis of mere suspicion.
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