New Delhi: The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been extended by the Center for six more months in Nagaland starting today. This comes at a time when a court of inquiry is already underway into the failed military operation at Oting village in the state’s Mon district, in which 14 civilians were killed.
Recently, the Center also constituted a high-level committee to examine the possibility of withdrawing the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Nagaland.
A notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs said: “Whereas the Central Government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of the State of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in civilian aid is necessary”.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 (AFSPA) in Nagaland has been extended for six more months from today. pic.twitter.com/Vkw3fPGeJK
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2021
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act gives wide-ranging powers to the security forces to operate freely in any place that has been declared a “disturbed area”.
The Act exempts any military personnel working in an area where AFSPA has been invoked from harassment unless cleared by the Centre.
Meanwhile, protests against the withdrawal of AFSPA have been raging in several districts of Nagaland ever since the army killed 14 civilians in the state’s Mon district earlier this month.
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