MP Meinya raises AFSPA issue in Parliament
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, December 02, 2014:
Just a day after the State Cabinet approved extension of disturbed area status in the whole state excepting the seven assembly segments of Imphal Municipal Council, Congress MP from Manipur Dr Thokchom Meinya raised the issue for repeal the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958 during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha today.
In his intervention, Meinya maintained that AFSPA 1958 is national in character and regional in application.
'At present, this Act is under promulgation in the special category States of J&K and the NE States.
Under this Act, the Army is given such uncontrolled and unaccounted power to do whatever they want including search, arrest, rape the women, and even killing and what not', the Congress MP said.
Mentioning that he has been pleading for the repeal of this Act for long, Meinya told parliament that in 2004, there was a statement by the then PM that steps would be taken to replace this Act by a more humane law.
Following this, the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee was formed in 2005, which recommended for the repeal of the Act, Meinya added.
He continued that the report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by the former Union Minister Veerappa Moily also recommended for the repeal of the Act.
The report of the Working Group on Confidence Building Measures in J&K, in 2007, headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, also recommended for the repeal of the Act, he recalled.
Meinya reiterated the Parliament that time has now come to repeal the Act and it should not be delayed.