Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday assured a delegation of the All-Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union that his Ministry would look into the demand for lifting the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from the State.
The Home Ministry, through a March 27 notification, ordered that the AFSPA be extended to all the districts of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam, triggering strong opposition from the State government. Chief Minister Nabam Tuki also took up the matter with Mr. Singh, urging him to withdraw the order.
Mr. Singh told the delegation that the notification on the extension of the AFSPA to nine districts, other than Tirap, Changlang and Longding, was kept in abeyance. He said he would discuss the issue with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju to arrive at a decision.
Mr. Rijiju recently said he had asked Home Ministry officials to review the AFSPA extension in coordination with the State government.
