Cong questions selective lifting of AFSPA
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 05 2022: The Opposition Congress party has questioned the lifting of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 or AFSPA from some parts of Manipur whereas the same infamous Act is kept in force in other parts of the State.

Speaking to media persons at Rishang Keishing Media Centre, Congress Bhavan here today, MPCC working president T Manga Vaiphei said that the BJP Government recently withdrew disturbed area status from the jurisdictions of nine police stations after the former Congress Government freed seven Assembly segments from the disturbed area tag in 2004 .

Asking the BJP Government as to why disturbed area status has not been withdrawn from the hill areas of the State while many areas of the valley have been freed from the disturbed area tag, Manga Vaiphei claimed that a ceasefire agreement is in place between NSCN-IM and the Government of India in the hill areas.

At the same time, there is suspension of operation pact between the Government and Kuki-Chin-Zoumi insurgent groups, he pointed out.

He demanded Chief Minister N Biren to come out with a clarification as to why disturbed area status has not been withdrawn from the hill areas of the State while AFSPA has been lifted from many areas of the valley after withdrawing the disturbed area tag from those areas.

Kh Devbratta, who is also a working president of MPCC, said that the disturbed area status was withdrawn from the jurisdictions of just 15 police stations even as there are more than 70 police stations in the State.

As the BJP Government has been repeatedly claiming that the State's law and order situation has improved remarkably, it would be prudent for the Government to withdraw disturbed area status from the hill areas too as done in many areas of the valley, Devbratta said.

He said that Congress has been demanding lifting of disturbed area status from the hill areas too in line with the clamour of many civil society organisations and one political party which is a partner of the BJP Government.

If there is any difficulty in lifting AFSPA from the hill areas of the State, the Govt must bring out a detail report, he demanded.

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