Meghalaya CM Demands Panel Reviewing Withdrawal Of AFSPA Be Extended To Entire North East

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Sunday demanded that the panel reviewing withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland should be extended to the entire North East.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma | Photo: Twitter/@SangmaConrad

New Delhi: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Sunday demanded that the panel reviewing withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland should be extended to the entire North East.

“Welcome the move of GOI, @AmitShah ji for approval to set up a panel to review imposition of the AFSPA in Nagaland. The panel should examine the whole of North East,” wrote Sangma in his tweet. 

Welcome the move of GOI, @AmitShah ji for approval to set up a panel to review imposition of the AFSPA in Nagaland. The panel should examine the whole of North East.

— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) December 26, 2021

The Nagaland Government had announced on Sunday that a panel will be constituted to look into the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland which will submit its report within 45 days. 

The decision to constitute the committee was taken during a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present in the meeting along with T R Zeliang, leader of the Naga People’s Front Legislative Party. 

In the meeting with the Home Minister, it was also decided that a court of Enquiry will initiate disciplinary action against the army unit and army personnel involved in the Nagaland firing case. 

“It was discussed in the meeting that a Court of Enquiry will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the army unit and army personnel, who are directly involved in the Oting incident and action will be taken immediately on the basis of enquiry," an official statement read.

"The identified persons who will face the enquiry will be placed under suspension with immediate effect," it added.

The statement further said that the Assam rifle unit in Mon would also be replaced with immediate effect. 

Chief Minister Sangma had demanded removal of AFSPA from the North East soon after the botched up incident of the Indian Army was reported which killed several citizens on December 4 in the Mon district of Nagaland.