Afspa to be withdrawn from NE, barring one or two states: HM

Guwahati: Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa) will be withdrawn from the entire northeast next year, barring one or two states.

Speaking at the signing of a tripartite MoU between the Centre, Assam and Nagaland to facilitate mineral oil operations in boundary areas, Shah said the shrinking footprint of Afspa was a clear indicator of peace returning to the region. “I am confident that barring one or two states, we will withdraw Afspa from the entire northeast next year,” he said.

Shah underlined that PM Modi has kept the northeast at the centre of his governance agenda, becoming the PM with the highest number of visits to the region. He pointed to the govt’s record of 12 accords signed since 2019 between various groups and state govts, which he said had has led to a dramatic 80% drop in violence.

The Union home minister’s remarks came against the backdrop of the new tripartite pact on mineral oil operations, which he described as another milestone in the Centre’s push to integrate the Northeast into India’s growth story.