Cong questions partial lifting of AFSPA
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 05 2022: Congress has questioned the non-withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the hill areas, although the Act was withdrawn from areas under the jurisdiction of 9 police stations of the state recently.

Speaking to newspersons at Congress Bhawan here on Tuesday, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) working president Manga Vaiphei pointed out that AFPSA was repealed from the jurisdiction of 9 police stations recently, while the then Congress government saw to the withdrawal of the Act from 7 assembly segments of the state in 2004 .

However, the question remains on why the draconian Act has not been withdrawn from hill areas of the state.

He continued that the ceasefire agreement between Government of India and NSCN-IM is being effectively implemented in the hill districts.

The Kuki Chin Zomi Group insurgents singed the Suspension of Operation (SoO) .

The CM claims to hold the hills dearly, and introduced the Go To Hill scheme for the same.

However, it is questionable why the government is refusing to withdraw the Act from hill areas when it has already been done so partly in some of the valley-based assembly segments.

Joining the media briefing, MPCC working president Kh Devabrata questioned the whereabouts of the reports regarding the exact updates of the police stations from 2002 till 2017, as the same cannot be found on government websites.

It is believed that there are over 70 PSs and the total number of police stations from wherein the disturbed area' tag has been removed is 15, 6 of which were done during Congress' rule and the remaining under BJP's rule.

In addition, majority of the police stations have been augmented.

As the state government has claimed to have restored peace in the hill districts, there is need for similar actions to be taken up in the hill areas to ensure full withdrawal of AFSPA, he added.

Devabrata then recounted that requests have been put forward previously for repealing AFSPA from the state.

He said that the state government was further appealed to withdraw its claims of helping to improve the law-and-order situation, while cautioning that the party will take up the matter as one of its main agendas in the assembly, if the government refuses to accept the demands of the people.

He also appealed to the government to withdraw the draconian Act from all 70 PSs.

He then said that to improve the police stations in both hills and valley, the law order situation must be reviewed and a non-contradictory stand must be put forward so as to alleviate the psychological burden and help bring about huge changes.

The government needs to take up the responsibility in this regard, he contended.

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