Centre Extends Controversial Law AFSPA in Nagaland for 6 more Months
Image Credit: AP
In Nagaland, the controversial law Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act, AFSPA has been extended for 6 months. Through this law, the army gets wide powers to act freely anywhere in the disturbed area of a state. In fact, in the areas where AFSPA is applicable, no one can harass or remove the Indian Army personnel without the consent of the Centre. This law is applicable in those areas where the police or paramilitary force proves to be unsuccessful in fighting extremism, terrorism or any other external force.
State government demanded withdrawal of AFSPA
Let us tell you that apart from the rights group of Nagaland, the state government has demanded the withdrawal of AFSPA several times. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, after the incident in Nagaland's Mon district on December 4, said that AFSPA was misused in it, which is a violation of human rights, Naga people have been opposing it for decades. At the same time, on 20 December, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to demand the repeal of AFSPA from the Northeast, especially Nagaland. Chief Minister Rio had a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi regarding this. After the meeting, he had told that a committee would be formed to withdraw the controversial law.
AFSPA
Many privileges are given to soldiers through the AFSPA Act. In this, the army will have the right to arrest anyone without a warrant, enter the suspect's house and investigate, if the suspect is not considered even after the first warning, then the army will also have the right to shoot at him. No one has to wait for orders from anyone to shoot. Even if someone is killed by that bullet, the army soldier will not be tried for murder. If the state government registers an FIR, then the permission of the central government has to be taken for its hearing in the court.
Let us tell you that AFSPA has been implemented in many states of the Northeast including Punjab, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir. In the Northeast, it was implemented in Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland but now it has been removed from many areas. At present, this law has been implemented in some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur (except 7 areas of capital Imphal), Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh.