Guwahati: With the death toll in Nagaland rising after the recent Mon tragedy, Chief Ministers of Nagaland and Meghalaya have now raised their voice for the removal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA).
Nagaland CM, Neiphiu Rio had stated that he had spoken with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and he was assured that the Home Minister had taken the matter seriously.
Over decades there has been a demand to repeal the Act from the region but this probably was the first time when two Chief Ministers have directly demanded the withdrawal of the AFSPA in a day.
The demand was made after at least 15 casualties were reported following an ambush by the paramilitary forces in Nagaland’s Mon district.
The incident was claimed to be a case of mistaken identity where the paramilitary forces had mistaken certain laborers as militants in the area. The security forces had earlier claimed that the entire operation took place based on credible intelligence of the likely movement of insurgents. The forces further claimed that a specific operation was planned and however, the forces also claimed that the incident and its aftermath were deeply regretted.
They added that the cause of the unfortunate loss of lives is being investigated at the highest level and appropriate action will be taken as per the course of law.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio promised a high-level investigation into the incident and urged everyone to keep the peace.
It may also be mentioned that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had earlier claimed that the Naga Political issue will soon be discussed with the Central government. As per a report, Rio was supposed to reach out to Delhi for the discussions but now with the tragic incident being reported, the talks and discussions now seem to be on hold.