Congress to urge PM, home minister repeal AFSPA
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 11 2021:
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokespersons and MLA K Meghachandra has informed that Congress party will be submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister urging for repealing imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Manipur.
Addressing a press meet held at the party's office here on Saturday, MLA Meghachandra demanded the ruling BJP government to repeal AFSPA from the state.
The government has the power to lift the Disturbed Area Status at any given time.
CM Biren has claimed in the Assembly that law and order situation has improved in the state and as such, he should convene a cabinet meeting and remove the Disturbed Area Status from the remaining assembly segments of the state.
While other northeast ern states are demanding removal of AFSPA following the Nagaland killings, it is unfortunate of the CM to say that he will make a request of the same to the centre.
He should be more proactive and meet the PM and the home minister to ensure that the draconian Act is removed from the state, the MLA stressed.
He demanded that the Biren-helmed BJP government should seek the repeal of the Act and withdraw the disturbed area status from the state.
The chief minister should join his counterparts in Meghalaya and Nagaland in their demand for repealing AFSPA, Meghachandra insisted and also demanded that the state cabinet take a resolution to the effect.
He said that Biren Singh had said at every election campaign meeting that the law and order has improved in the state during his regime.
"If it is so then his (Biren Singh's) government should withdraw the disturbed area status in Manipur.
It should also ask the Centre to repeal AFSPA from the north eastern states," he told reporters.
"It should be easy for the BJP government in the state and its allies National People's Party and Naga People's Front as a part of 'double engine' (same party in power as at the Centre) government," he said.
The disturbed area status has been declared by Manipur government from time to time under the Armed Forces Special Power Act, (AFSPA), 1958.The Biren government had in December last year extended the disturbed area status in the state for a year barring Imphal municipal area.
It was the erstwhile Congress regime in the state which had withdrawn the disturbed areas status in the Imphal municipal area, Meghachandra pointed out.
Referring to the killing of 14 civilians by security personnel in Nagaland's Mon district, the, Congress leader said that such incidents had taken place in Manipur too in the past.
"It might be repeated in Manipur as the armed forces are protected by AFSPA," he added.
Megachandra then said that for Congress, the party is planning to submit a memorandum to the PM and the home minister for revoking AFSPA from Manipur.
The party had repealed the Act from several areas of the state while it was helming affairs of the government, despite objections from the then central government.
Thus, BJP should be firm like Congress and repeal the Act completely from the state, he asserted.
Questioning why NPP and NPF, which are part of the BJP-led coalition government, are not proposing for convening a cabinet meeting to discuss repeal of the Act; the MLA urged against waiting for the opportunity to form the government as the time to act is now.
One can only wonder why this draconian and jungle Act is being enforced only in the northeast region and Jammu and Kashmir, he remarked.
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