New Delhi: Amid the outcry after the firing incident in Mon district, the Nagaland cabinet on Tuesday wrote to the Center seeking repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. AFSPA gives special powers to security forces in “disturbed areas”.
“In a meeting of the State Cabinet on the incident of firing in Som, Nagaland, it has been decided to write to the Government of India to immediately repeal the AFSPA, 1958 from the State, and that the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Center should complete its investigation and Should submit its report in a month’s time,” a statement said.
In a meeting of the State Cabinet on the firing incident at Som, Nagaland, it has been decided to write to the Government of India to “immediately repeal the AFSPA, 1958 from the State, and that the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Center should complete its investigation and He should submit his report in a month. Time. , pic.twitter.com/GaTA3L47ID
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2021
The cabinet also decided to call off the state’s biggest event, the Hornbill Festival, which attracts thousands of domestic and foreign tourists, to protest the killing of 14 civilians by security forces in separate incidents.
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Several tribes from eastern Nagaland and other parts of the state had suspended all activities in view of the incident.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday said the excesses committed by the armed forces through the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act do not augur well with the people of a democratic country like India.
“Through AFSPA, the excesses committed by the armed forces does not go down well with the people in a democratic country like India… It is a good thing that they (Centre) have admitted to taking wrong decisions through TIP.. .Hope justice has been done,” ANI quoted Neiphiu Rio as saying.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Monday that the AFSPA has empowered the army to arrest civilians, raid homes and kill people without a warrant, but no action was taken against the security forces.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had also demanded abolition of AFSPA. Describing it as a “drastic” act, Sangma, whose NPP is an ally of the BJP, said, “AFSPA has always been counterproductive and there has been more unrest and people have to go through a lot of pain.”
Six civilians were killed during an operation in Tiru area of Mon district on Saturday evening when security forces allegedly mistook them for terrorists and opened fire on them. This later led to clashes, in which seven civilians and a security personnel were killed.
On Sunday afternoon, an angry mob ransacked and torched parts of an Assam Rifles camp in the area, police said. Another person died in the incident as the security forces retaliated on the attackers.
Taking suo motu cognizance, the Nagaland Police has registered an FIR against the 21st Para Special Force of the Army.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, In a statement in Parliament on MondayExpressed regret over the incident and said it was a case of mistaken identity. He said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been ordered to submit its investigation report in the Nagaland firing case within a month.
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