Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is likely to be liefted completely in Assam by the end of this year.
Sarma's comments follow gradual removal of AFSPA from several places in the Northeast India, including in Assam. In April, the AFSPA was lifted from several areas in Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur.
Speaking at the first Commandant's Conference at Dergaon, Sarma said, "We are aiming at withdrawing AFSPA completely from Assam by the end of 2023."
The AFSPA is a controversial law that gives security forces the right to arrest and search without warrants and use force without a magistrate's permission. Any action taken under AFSPA, including the use of force that causes deaths, is immune from prosecution until it's sanctioned by the Union government.
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In Assam, after the latest round of removal of areas under AFSPA in April, the law remains in force in eight districts and one sub-division. The disturbed area notification has been in force since 1990. On April 1, 2022, officials said the disturbed area tag under the AFSPA was reduced to nine districts and one sub-division of another district. In April, it was further limited to eight districts in Assam.
Besides the Northeast, the AFSPA is in place in Jammu and Kashmir. Critics of the law say it's a draconian law that allows fake encounters and other human rights violations to take place in areas where it's imposed. There have been repeated calls for the removal of the law.
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(With PTI inputs)
