Days After Partial AFSPA Removal, Rahul Gandhi Meets Cong Leaders In Nagaland
Days after the partial repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met with a delegation of Congress leaders from Nagaland to discuss strengthening the party and organisation in the state
All India Congress Committee Nagaland Incharge Ajoy Kumar and State Congress chief K Therie were present in the meeting.
"Today, met Rahul Gandhi along with a delegation of INC Nagaland leaders and had a positive discussion on strengthening the party and organisation in the state," tweeted Ajoy Kumar.
AFSPA has been removed from 15 police stations in seven districts in Nagaland with effect from April 1.
Earlier last month, Union home minister Amit Shah informed that the Centre has decided to reduce disturbed areas under the AFSPA in the states of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades.
The act empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any warrant. The act also gives a certain level of immunity to the security forces in case of an operation going wrong.
The fresh demand to review AFSPA had stirred last year after 14 civilians were killed in a botched-up operation by the Indian Army on December 4 in the Mon district of Nagaland.
Assam has been in the disturbed area list since 1990.
Initially, the AFSPA was imposed in insurgency-affected areas of the hills of undivided Assam that were identified as “disturbed areas”. The Naga Hills were among those areas. Later on, all seven states in the Northeast were brought under the AFSPA.