Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah expressing regret over the civilian killings in Nagaland, the Congress said the statement from the Centre “holds no water.”
In his statement in Lok Sabha on Monday, the home minister had expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the firing incident on December 4.
Security forces opened fire on civilians in Nagaland’s Mon district, killing 14 and injuring 11 more in three consecutive episodes, the first of which was a case of mistaken identity. One soldier died in rioting which followed.
Shah said a probe by a SIT into the incident will be completed within a month and asserted that all agencies must ensure such things do not recur while taking action against insurgents.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sought to know why such incidents are happening in the northeast.
“This statement (by Shah) holds no water. It cannot relate to disturbing news emanating from Nagaland. We have been asking why fire was opened at innocent civilians and why a soldier had to lose his life,” Chowdhury was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
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The Congress leader said something similar had happened in Manipur a few days back when a Colonel and his family were gunned down. “Why is this happening in northeast?”
Expressing dissatisfaction over the statement by the home minister, opposition parties, including the Congress, DMK, SP, BSP and the NCP, had walked out of the house
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha members condemned the Nagaland incident and demanded an impartial probe. They also called for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
