Congress slams AFSPA extension in Nagaland
The Hindu
It calls for united agitation to seek repeal of Act
The Congress has slammed the Centre’s decision to extend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) set up a panel to decide on withdrawing the Act in the State.
The Congress general secretary, communications, Randeep Surjewala, in a tweet accused the government of pushing “a hitherto peaceful North East into an abyss of lawlessness, insurgency and chaos”.
Since December 4, when 13 civilians were killed in a botched operation by the Army near Oting in Mon district, the protests against the AFSPA have sharpened in the State and the entire northeast.
Leaders and legislators hailing from Ballari, which is part of the Kalyana Karnataka region, seem to be a source of much political upheaval in Karnataka, going by recent history. This has been the case since the time illegal mining hit national and international headlines in the 2000s and the place gained reputation as “Republic of Ballari”.
The former BJP MLA of Udupi K. Raghupathi Bhat claimed on Saturday that he contesting the Legislative Council elections from South West Graduates’ Constituency as rebel candidate made the saffron party field its party leader C. T. Ravi in the biennial elections to the Legislative Council from the Legislative Assembly.