Nagaland Killings: Amit Shah Says Centre Regrets 14 Civilians’ Deaths
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio, and Meghalayan CM Conrad Sangma demanded that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA, be repealed.
- Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio slammed the centre for extending AFSPA.
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today told Lok Sabha “the centre regretted the deaths of 14 civilians in Nagaland after a botched Army op. An hour later Mr Shah read out a similar statement in the Rajya Sabha, as opposition MPs screamed “nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi”.
Furious opposition MPs shouted protests and objections as Mr Shah sat down after his statement, reiterating demands for a detailed discussion on this subject. The Congress had also demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi be present for this, but PM Modi stayed away from this session.
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Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio slammed the centre for extending AFSPA. “Every year the centre extends AFSPA in Nagaland, saying it is a ‘disturbed area’… but all armed groups are in ceasefire and part of peace talks. So why extend it?” he asked.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Meghalayan counterpart Conrad Sangma on Monday demanded that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA, be repealed.
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“Nagaland and the Naga people have always opposed AFSPA,” Rio said in a tweet. “It should be repealed.”
Nagaland and the Naga people have always opposed #AFSPA. It should be repealed.
— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) December 6, 2021
On the same lines, Sangma tweeted: “AFSPA should be repealed.”
AFSPA should be repealed
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) December 6, 2021
Rio told reporters that he has urged the Centre to withdraw AFSPA from Nagaland. He described AFSPA as a “black spot” on the image of the country, reported The Indian Express.
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14 villagers and a soldier died in Nagaland’s Mon district over the weekend after an Army op went horribly wrong. A police FIR has said the Army’s 21 Para Special Forces “blankly opened fire”.
The Army yesterday expressed deep regret for the “unfortunate loss of lives” and said the matter would be investigated at the “highest level”.
