Imphal: Manipur cabinet has approved the extension of the “disturbed area” provision of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in the state for another six months but spared municipal areas of the capital city Imphal and places that lie in the jurisdiction of 19 police stations.
This was stated by the Manipur Education Minister Th Basanta Kumar while talking to newsmen at Imphal after the cabinet meeting on Thursday night.
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The extension is being made given the prevailing law and order situation of this volatile border state, the minister said.
The cabinet approval has come out at a time when a tribal organization from Manipur — the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) — has urged the central government to re-impose the AFSPA in the Imphal Valley of the state.
The CoTU advocated for the imposition of AFSPA in all 19 police stations in the Imphal Valley districts as a crucial step in recovering the looted arms and countering armed miscreants effectively.
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Notably, various civic organizations belonging to the Meiteis and the Nagas have demanded to repeal of these dreaded laws from the state.
This Act gives unbridled powers to the armed forces to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and protection from prosecution, and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction.