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The Centre is considering partial removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
AFSPA and Effect
AFSPA gives powers to the Army and central forces deployed in disturbed areas to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and provide cover to forces from prosecution and legal suits without the Centre’s sanction.
- It is effective in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven Assembly constituencies of Imphal).
- In Arunachal Pradesh it is in force in 16 police stations and in Tirap, Longding and Changlang districts bordering Assam.
- Tripura withdrew AFSPA in 2015. It is not in force in Meghalaya (except a 20-kilometre area along the Assam border) and Mizoram.
- Also it is effective in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir
Withdrawal of AFSPA
- The State governments’ comments and will take the final decision once they reply.
- In Arunachal Pradesh, looking at complete withdrawal, except two districts in the east bordering Myanmar and Nagaland.
- Three border districts of Arunachal Pradesh were being used by militants of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) to escape to Myanmar and 25 incidents of violence were reported from September 2016-February 2017.
Source : The Hindu
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