Meghalaya MP moves adjournment motion notice in LS over demand to repeal AFSPA

National People's Party (NPP) MP Agatha Sangma on Tuesday moved an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the demand to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

This comes ahead of the Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio demanded the removal of the AFSPA earlier on Monday following the Nagaland firing incident, where 13 civilians lost their lives.

AFSPA allows security forces the power to search, arrest and open fire to maintain public order in four of India's seven northeastern states.

Earlier on Saturday, an Army unit in Nagaland mistook a group of villagers for insurgents and opened fire, killing 13 civilians in the security operation at an India-Myanmar border district of Mon in the Oting village.

The Army, in a statement, expressed deep regret over the "unfortunate loss of lives" in a counter-insurgency that went awry, and added the incident is being investigated at the highest level as outrage over the killing continued.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had termed the civilian killing by security forces in Nagaland a "case of mistaken identity" and informed that a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed with direction to submit its report on the unfortunate incident within one month.

In 2019, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in Lok Sabha said, "At present, there is no proposal to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958."

"Presently, AFSPA, 1958 is operational in entire States of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (except Imphal Municipal area), three districts namely Tirap, Changlang and Longding of Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of the eight police stations in the districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the State of Assam.

On June 30, the Ministry of Home Affairs extended the AFSPA in Nagaland for another six months. According to a notification by the MHA, the Act will remain in effect in Nagaland until December 31.

( With inputs from ANI )

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