The Centre has decided to reduce the disturbed areas under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the states of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday. AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior warrant. It also gives a certain level of immunity to the security forces in case of an operation going wrong. "In a significant step, GoI under the decisive leadership of PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji has decided to reduce disturbed areas under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the states of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades," Shah said in a tweet.
In another tweet, Shah called the reduction in areas under AFSPA a result of improved security situation and fast-tracked development in the region.
A home ministry spokesperson, however, said the decision does not imply that AFSPA has been completely withdrawn from the three insurgency-hit states. It will continue to be in force in some areas of the states. The death of 14 civilians by security forces in a firing incident in Nagaland's Mon district in December last year had strengthened the demand for withdrawal of AFSPA from the state and the NorthEast. AFSPA has been in force for decades in the three states to assist the armed forces operating there to tackle insurgency. There have been protests and demands for complete withdrawal of the law from the NorthEast as well as Jammu and Kashmir for its alleged "draconian" provisions. (With PTI inputs)