Repeal AFSPA, Itagar to Centre

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, April 16: Aruchal Pradesh has decided to request the Centre to review and reconsider the decision to extend Armed Forces Special Powers’ Act (AFSPA) to all the districts of the state bordering with Assam. “The state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister bam Tuki which had its sitting on April 14 last unimously decided to urge the Centre to repeal the Act immediately,” Home Minister Tanga Byaling informed in a statement today.

While taking into consideration that Aruchal Pradesh has been the most peaceful state in the North East Region with no history of home grown insurgency, extension of AFSPA to border districts of the State in entirety is not justified at this stage, he said.

The Cabinet also resolved to plead the Centre to maintain status-quo-ante as an altertive by revoking the notification and reinstate the previous stand of extension to a 20 km wide belt in districts bordering Assam in addition to Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts.

Byaling has denied the statement of union MoS for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju of having telephonic conversation in regards to extension of AFSPA in all districts bordering with Assam.

Byaling also clarified that no intelligence information was shared with the state Home Department in connection with recent attack on Army at Khonsa in Tirap district leading to loss of three jawans as claimed by Rijiju.

Byaling clarified that he had sought detailed reports on the matter from the security agencies and district administrations from across the state but could not ascertain presence of any sanctuary of extremist as claimed.

The state government had been always coorditing with the Centre on interl security as it believes that interl security is collective responsibility of both state and the Centre.