Nagaland firing: Rio's cabinet to write to Centre demanding immediate repeal of AFSPA
The cabinet would also ask the Centre to ensure that the Special Investigation Team formed by the latter should complete its investigation and submit a report within a month.
The Nagaland cabinet of chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday decided to write to the Union government to immediately repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act amid a major uproar over the recent killing of 14 civilians by the security forces in northeastern state.
The cabinet would also ask the Centre to ensure that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the latter should complete its investigation and submit a report within a month.
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The decisions were taken at an emergency meeting of the cabinet held to discuss the firing incident in Mon district and the subsequent developments in the region, said minister for planning and government spokesperson Neiba Kronu.
“The cabinet was briefed on the actions taken by the government, including setting up an SIT headed by an IGP and consisting of four other members. The Cabinet decided the SIT should complete its investigation and submit its report by one month time. The cabinet also decided to write to the Government of India "to immediately repeal AFSPA, 1958 from the state,” Kronu said.
Also read | Respond to the Nagaland killing
It was further decided that the cabinet would support the demands put forward by the Konyak Union to President Ram Nath Kovind.
Earlier in the day, the state government called off the ongoing Hornbill Festival in protest against the killings.
The 10-day festival, the state's largest tourism extravaganza held at Naga Heritage Village in Kisama near the state capital, was scheduled to end on December 10.
The state government had cancelled the day's event at the venue on Monday. Several tribes from eastern Nagaland and other parts of the state had suspended all activities at their respective Morungs over the killing in Mon district.
Rio, while attending the funeral of the 14 civilians in Mon town on Monday, had also joined a growing chorus of demands seeking the repeal of AFSPA that gives special powers to security forces in "disturbed areas".
Critics have maintained that the controversial law allows the armed forces to act with impunity, leading to human rights violations.
(With inputs from agencies)
