Fearing backlash just before Lok Sabha elections, the Centre has put on hold the decision to allow Assam Rifle powers to search and arrest without warrant in non-Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) areas in Northeast states.
The Centre had issued a notification three days ago giving powers to the Assam Rifles to arrest anyone and search a place without warrant in Northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. There was a huge resistance from local leaders of the concerned states against the Centre's decision.
Though AFSPA is still imposed in some areas in the Northeast, it has been repealed from some pockets in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh after the Centre decided that the threat from insurgents and terrorists has ceased in those select areas. However, protesters still call for doing away with AFSPA from the states.
At a time when there is a call to repeal the AFSPA, the decision of the Centre to give powers to the force brought much criticism. As soon as the order was issued, the Central government found that the decision has backfired and it could lead to trouble across Northeast.
This forced the government to put the order giving additional powers to Assam Rifles in abeyance. In addition, there were technical problems in the notification as Assam does not share a border with Myanmar where insurgent groups operate.
Sources said Centre has decided that the enabling notifications giving powers to the Assam Rifles will be revisited in consultation with the states concerned.
"The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to keep the notification giving powers under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to Assam Rifles in abeyance," said an official.
The Assam Rifles has long been engaged in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in the Northeastern states.
Powers under the CrPC were available to Assam Rifles under the Assam Rifles Act, 1941. However, after the new Assam Rifles Act 2006 came into operation, the issue of re-conferring these powers has remained under consideration since then.
POWER & PROTEST
- The Centre had issued a notification 3 days ago giving powers to Assam Rifles to arrest anyone and search a place without warrant in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram.
- As soon as the order was issued, the Central government found that the decision has backfired and it could lead to trouble across Northeast.
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