AFSPA will be removed in 4 years: Amit Shah in poll-bound Nagaland

The Union home minister also claimed that there has been a 60 per cent reduction in deaths of security forces, while civilian deaths have dipped by 83 per cent in the Northeast.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted that Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 will be withdrawn from the whole northeastern state within the next three to four years.

Addressing an election rally in Tuensang, Shah said there are some issues related to development and rights of eastern Nagaland and those will be addressed after the assembly elections.

Asserting that insurgency is on the wane in the Northeast, he claimed that there has been a 70 per cent dip in violent incidents in the region under the BJP rule.

The Union home minister also claimed that there has been a 60 per cent reduction in deaths of security forces, while civilian deaths have dipped by 83 per cent in the Northeast.

Noting that the Armed Force (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 had been lifted from large parts of Nagaland by the central government, he expressed hope that the Act would be removed from across the northeastern state in the next three to four years.

What is AFSPA

AFSPA stands for the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. It is an act passed by the Indian Parliament in 1958 to give special powers to the armed forces in "disturbed areas" of India. The act is primarily meant for use in areas where there is insurgency, terrorism, or any other form of violence.

Under AFSPA, the forces have the power to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in an area.

The powers to carry out a search without warrant and ban possession of firearms are also some of the provisions under the act. AFSPA is imposed in disturbed areas, which is declared by way of a notification under Section 3 of the act. Under this section, the Centre or Governor of a State can declare the entire state or part of it as a disturbed area. The act says that a notification should be made in the Official Gazette and the same can be invoked in areas where the use of armed forces in the aid of civil power is necessary.

The act has been a subject of controversy and criticism, with human rights groups alleging that it gives excessive powers to the armed forces and has resulted in widespread human rights violations. There have been calls for the repeal of the act, particularly in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Nagpur and Manipur. However, the act continues to remain in force in these states and other areas declared as "disturbed" by the government.

Elections to the 60-member Assembly will be held on February 27 and votes will be counted on March 2.