CM opposes extension of AFSPA to entire Arunachal

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Friday said he urged the central government to review the decision to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to the entire state.

Tuki told IANS that he raised the issue with Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Thursday.

"I told him to reconsider the extension of AFSPA to the entire Arunachal Pradesh," he said.

Earlier, three districts of Arunachal Pradesh -- Changlang, Tirap and Longding -- were covered by the act that gives sweeping powers to security forces battling militants.

In March, the central government extended the legislation to cover the entire northeastern state, saying that insurgency issues had increased in Arunachal Pradesh.

Tuki argued that the insurgency situation had actually improved over the years, not deteriorated.

"The central government has its own advantage by extending AFSPA to the entire state," he told IANS, sounding critical of the government move. "They hardly know the real situation."

Tuki was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day 64th plenary meeting of the North Eastern Council chaired by Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh.