On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to Assam. There he addresses people of assam and said, “In the 1990s, Armed forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) was implemented in Assam. It was extended seven times. After eight years of Prime Minister narendra Modi’s rule, the Act was removed from 23 districts, and partially from one district. I am confident that it will be completely withdrawn from the entire state soon.”
Earlier in the day, Shah awarded the Assam Police with the President's Colour in the presence of Sarma and director general of police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta at the 'Alankaran Parade' ceremony in the state capital.
Amit Shah said, “Efforts would be made to ensure the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from entire Assam. Improved law and order and peace accords with militant outfits had led to the partial withdrawal of AFSPA, which gave immunity to the military from any punitive action, in the northeastern state.”
“After eight years of Modi, the [law and order] situation is such that the Act has been lifted from 23 districts in Assam. I am confident that soon the AFSPA will be revoked from the entire state,” said Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the state. “At one point, there was Armed Forces Special Power Act, now the youth will get vikas (development) and ujjwal (bright) future special power,” he said, lauding the work of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led state government which completed one year on Tuesday.
Amit Shah said, those who have surrendered and returned to the mainstream are being rehabilitated by both the central and state governments.
“Most of the militant outfits have entered into peace agreement due to the efforts of the Centre and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and the day is not far when the entire state will be completely free from insurgency and violence,” Shah said.
Shah claimed that insurgency was rapidly declining in Assam with militant outfits signing peace deals with the state government. “The day is not far when there won’t be even one insurgent outfit in Assam,” said Shah.
Speaking about the Assam Police, Shah said the force had a glorious history and had successfully tackled insurgency, border issues, smuggling of arms, drugs and cattle, rhino poaching and social issues like witchcraft.
He said it rightly deserved to be honoured with the President's Colour.
The Union home minister heaped praises on the state police, saying it had been successful in solving the problems of cross-border infiltration, cow-smuggling and rhino poaching. “There are few parallels to the tough circumstances Assam police has dealt with.”