Guwahati, Sept 09: The Assam cabinet on Friday evening decided to recommend to the Central Government to withdraw Disturbed Areas Act and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the entire State.

This decision comes within days of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss over the proposal of the state government for complete withdrawal of AFSPA from Assam.

Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meet, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, said, “We have decided to request the central government to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) completely from the state of Assam. However, we will abide by the decision of the central government, more particularly the Home Ministry, because it is, after all, the central government that will assess the situation. However, so far as the state government is concerned, we have decided to recommend the complete withdrawal of AFSPA.

The ‘Disturbed Area’ notification was in force since 1990 in the whole of Assam. On April 1, 2022, the AFSPA was removed from the entire State of Assam except for nine districts, including one subdivision of another district. From April 1, the districts under the AFSPA in Assam were further reduced to eight as the Act was withdrawn from the Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar district.

This controversial law gives unbridled power to the Armed Forces and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) deployed in “Disturbed Areas” to kill anyone acting in contravention of the law; arrest and search any premises without a warrant; and protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central Government’s sanction.

Withdrawal of AFSPA from North East has been one of the promises of BJP. Recent data of Union Home Ministry shows that in last eight years there has been 76 percent reduction in insurgency in northeast.

Also read: NEHU Students’ Union hosts debate on NEP 2020 to assess its impact on education

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