Armed Forces Special Powers Act: DPP demands withdrawal

IMPHAL, May 21?Democratic People?s Party (DPP), a constituent of the six-party ruling secular progressive Front, today, demanded immediate withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 from Manipur reports PTI. DPP spokesperson R K Anand said in a statement that the time had come to review the removal of the act under which the state had been declared as ?disturbed area? and added that there could no military solution to Manipur problem. Anand claimed that the forces deployed under the act to deal with the insurgents had also ?started forgetting? that they had been deployed to aid the civil administration and pointed out that the Supreme Court had on earlier occasions made it mandatory for the states to review the need to keep an area ?disturbed? periodically. Many civilians were being harassed by the forces in the names of dealing with insurgents, he said. On Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga?s reported remarks that the ceasefire between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) could be extended to ?everywhere?, the DPP spokesperson said if Mizoram Chief Minister wanted the ceasefire to be extended to Mizoram, he (Zoramthanga) could do so. But the DPP would oppose ?tooth and nail? the extension of the Ceasefire to the territories of Manipur. And said urging the Centre to keep the Chief Ministers of Manipur.