|HT|
The Nagaland government said on Sunday a committee would soon be instituted to look into the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state. The controversial Act gives sweeping powers to the armed forces to detain and arrest people without a warrant in areas designated as "disturbed". A statement released by the government said the decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah and attended by Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma, Nagaland deputy CM Y Patton and NPFLP leader TR Zeliang.
The meeting was held on December 23 to discuss the present scenario in Nagaland, the statement said, adding the new committee will be chaired by the MHA’s additional secretary for northeast and include the chief secretary and director general of police of Nagaland among others. A court of inquiry will initiate disciplinary proceedings against Army personnel who were directly involved in the killing of 14 civilians in a botched anti-terrorist operation earlier this month.
On November 20, the Nagaland assembly unanimously adopted a resolution demanding that the Government of India repeal the AFSPA from the region. Moving the resolution, Rio said for the last 20 years the state government has been recommending that the controversial Act be removed and Nagaland taken off the list of areas declared "disturbed areas."
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