AFSPA extended for six months in Nagaland

The Centre declared Nagaland as 'disturbed area' and extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for another six months in the state on Sunday.

New Delhi: The Centre on Sunday extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland for another six months, declaring the state as a 'disturbed area.'

In a notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the central government is of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of the state of Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civilian 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 said State to be a 'disturbed area' for a period of six months with effect from 30 June 2019 for the purpose of the Act," the MHA notification said.The AFSPA, which grants special powers to the Indian armed forces in 'disturbed areas', has been in forces in Nagaland for several decades. Under this law the armed forces have the authority to prohibit the gathering of five or more persons in an area.There have been demands from various quarters across the country to withdraw AFSPA from states like Jammu and Kashmir and some of the states in the north-east. AFSPA has been lifted in Tripura and Meghalaya but in Manipur, it is in force, except in seven assembly constituencies of Imphal.