Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) said Monday the killing of 14 civilians by security forces in Nagaland’s Mon district has put a question mark over Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). It also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has failed to perform his duty of providing security to the citizens of India.
Senior TMC leader Sushmita Dev referred to the Centre’s decision to increase BSF’s jurisdiction. Sushmita Dev said the killings in Nagaland in the botched anti-insugency operation proved how things can ‘go wrong’ if the Centre intervenes in the state’s jurisdiction.
Dev demanded that the Shah immediately convene a meeting of chief ministers of the northeastern states. She said the problems related to AFSPA should be resolved through dialogue and ‘not through domination and interference in the jurisdiction of the states’.
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“It is imperative that the Centre set up a committee to see if AFSPA is working in this country or not. The killing of civilians Nagaland incident by security forces has put a question mark over the Act. We demand that Amit Shah Ji immediately convene a meeting of all the chief ministers of the northeastern states and discuss the issue of AFSPA. The problems related to AFSPA should be resolved through dialogue and not through domination and interference in the jurisdiction of the states,” Dev said at a press conference here.
Dev also hit out at Shah. “Union Home Minister Amit Shah has completely failed to provide security to the citizens of this country,” Dev said.
Dev, TMC MP, referred to the Centre’s decision in October this year to increase BSF’s jurisdiction up to 50 kms from the border. “The Nagaland incident proves how things go wrong if you interfere in the state’s jurisdiction,” Dev pointed out.
The party said Monday morning said that it will not send its delegation as announced the previous day to Nagaland’s Mon district. This is due to the prohibitory orders in force in the area at present.
A five-member TMC delegation comprising MPs Prasun Banerjee, Aparupa Poddar, Santanu Sen and party spokesperson Biswajit Deb besides Dev was scheduled to visit Mon.
“We came to know at the last moment that prohibitory orders have been clamped in the area. So, we have decided to call off our visit to Mon. We will visit the area once the prohibitory orders are withdrawn. TMC stands by the families of those killed in the firing,” Dev informed.
Party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has demanded a thorough investigation into the killing of the civilians by the security forces Saturday.