Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday welcomed the Tripura Government's decision to withdraw the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) after 18 years of enforcement in the disturbed region.
"I would like to welcome the very important decision of the Tripura Government to lift the AFSPA. In the past one year, the situation in Tripura has improved a lot," Rijiju told ANI here.
"I hope that lifting of AFSPA from Tripura will also have positive impact on other states of North Eastern region. I am confident that in the days to come... the state government and Centre can work together and secure peace in the North-Eastern region," he added.
Tripura will now move the Union Home Ministry for the formal withdrawal of AFSPA.
The Act was implemented in 40 police station areas of the state in February, 1997. With declining insurgency, the administration, in June 2013 had earlier withdrawn the Act from nine police stations.
This move comes after Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Wednesday.
