TMC MPs meet Home Minister Amit Shah, demands to repeal AFSPA

Dec. 8: A delegation of 20 MPs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday in New Delhi. The delegation discussed the recent shooting of 14 civilians in Nagaland. The delegation expressed strong views on repealing Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). AFSPA, 1958 is an act of the Parliament of India that grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.

Taking to its twitter handle, TMC wrote, “Our Hon’ble MPs submitted a memorandum to the @HMOIndia today. We demand compensation for the kin of victims. GOI must clear the ambiguity surrounding AFSPA. They must ENSURE that NO INNOCENT CIVILIANS are killed. The law is to PROTECT civilians, NOT KILL them!”

Our Hon'ble MPs submitted a memorandum to the @HMOIndia today.

We demand compensation for the kin of victims.

GOI must clear the ambiguity surrounding AFSPA. They must ENSURE that NO INNOCENT CIVILIANS are killed.

The law is to PROTECT civilians, NOT KILL them! pic.twitter.com/ojcazr094x

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) December 8, 2021

In a memorandum addressed to the Home Minister, TMC wrote, “The AFSPA has been brought to protect civilians; not to kill them. The recent killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland by armed forces was nothing but a brutal, cold-blooded murder of innocent civilians in village Oating in Mon district of Nagaland on December 4 and 5th.”

The TMC delegation comprised of Sudipto Bandyopadhaya, Sushmita Dev, Derek O’Brien, Kalyan Banerjee, Sukhndu Sekhar Ray, Abhishek Banerjee, Sushmita Dev among others. Later on, speaking to way2barak, MP Sushmita Dev stated, “I also discussed the Assam Mizoram border issue with the Home Minister. He assured to peacefully resolve the issue and also informed that a committee in this connection will be formed soon.”