Govt has pushed NE into 'abyss' of lawlessness, insurgency & chaos: Cong

A day after the Centre extended AFSPA in Nagaland for six more months, the Congress on Thursday tore into the BJP government saying that its "lust for power" has pushed the North East into abyss of "lawlessness, insurgency and chaos."

Congress Chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: "Modi Govt has pushed a hitherto peaceful North East into an abyss of lawlessness, insurgency and chaos."

"The utter lack of understanding of the ethos of its people, its diversity, its concerns and attempt to annihilate democracy to usurp power has led us to the current state," he added.

On Thursday, the Centre extended Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA) in Nagaland till June 30 next year, declaring the entire state as 'disturbed area'.

The act empowers the security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. It also gives immunity to the forces if they shoot someone dead.

This comes amid the protests for the withdrawal of the AFSPA going on in several districts of Nagaland ever since an Army unit killed 14 civilians in Mon district earlier this month, mistaking them as insurgents.

On December 23, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting to discuss the present scenario in Nagaland with the Chief Ministers of Nagaland, Assam and other officials of the states and the Ministry and decided to form a committee to look into the withdrawal of AFSPA in Nagaland and the committee was to submit its report in 45 days.

The Nagaland Assembly has recently passed a unanimous resolution to remove this Act and it was expected that the Centre might limit the jurisdiction of the AFSPA to the border areas, viewing the huge resentment among the locals masses.

--IANS

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