Union Home Ministry on Wednesday declared entire Nagaland as ‘disturbed area’ for six months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
In a notification, the home ministry said that the use of Armed Forces in aid of civil power is necessary.
“The Central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary. Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No. 28 of 1958), the central government hereby declares that whole of the State of Nagaland to be 'disturbed area' for a period of six months with effect from 30th December 2020 for the purpose of the said Act,” the notification said.
A home ministry official said the decision to continue the declaration of Nagaland as a "disturbed area" has been taken as killings, loot and extortion have been going on in various parts of the state which necessitated the action for the convenience of the security forces operating there.
The mountainous state has been under the AFSPA for the past several decades. It was not withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015, by Naga insurgent group NSCN(IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government interlocutor R N Ravi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)
First Published: IST