India - Amit Shah to give statement on Nagaland civilian killings today

(MENAFN- NewsBytes)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will give a statement Monday on the firing incident in Nagaland in which 14 civilians were killed amid a botched anti-surgency operation, Rajya Sabha Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu said. This comes as Parliament witnessed a fiery session with several Opposition MPs calling for a discussion on the incident. The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till noon amid the uproar.

At least 14 civilians and one soldier were killed, and 11 others were injured by security forces in Nagaland 's Mon district in three consecutive firing incidents. It all started after eight innocent villagers were killed by security forces due to 'mistaken identity' during a botched anti-insurgency operation. The incident triggered protests by angry locals, leading to clashes with security forces.

In Lok Sabha, Congress MP Manickam Tagore moved an adjournment motion to discuss the Nagaland firing incident. In Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a statement from the Union Home Minister. Several other Opposition leaders, too, have issued notices in both Houses of Parliament. These include Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, K Suresh, Manickam Tagore, and Gaurav Gogoi, AIMIM's Assaduddin Owaisi, etc.

In view of the tense situation, public gatherings of more than five people have been banned in Mon. The movement of all vehicles of non-essential nature, including commercial ones, has been prohibited in the district under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Section 144. Reportedly, Nagaland 's signature Hornbill festival has also been canceled till Monday night.

Separately, mobile internet and SMS services have also been suspended in the Mon district. Authorities justified the move saying that it is aimed at limiting the spread of rumors and misinformation.

Meanwhile, a murder case has been filed in connection with the incident. Following an announcement by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio , a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police was also formed to probe the incident. Further, the state has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased civilians.

Security forces acting on a tip-off had reportedly fired on a truck on the Tiru-Oting road, suspecting it to be carrying insurgents. The forces had intended to crack down on suspected members of the Yung Aung faction of the insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K). However, the truck was carrying villagers. There were eight fatalities.

Thereafter, angry locals surrounded the security forces, who then fired in 'self-defense.' Five more villagers were killed and six were injured. A security personnel was also killed in the clashes. Three vehicles belonging to the security forces were torched.

A day after the firing incident, protesters reportedly surrounded the Assam Rifles camp in Mon town. The protesters reportedly broke into the camp and engaged in vandalism, NDTV reported quoting police sources. The protesters reportedly tried setting fire to a portion of the camp. Following this, security forces opened fire again, killing one more villager and injuring another.

On Sunday, the Indian Army said it 'deeply regretted' the incident and its aftermath. However, it maintained that the anti-insurgency operation was planned based on 'credible intelligence.' The loss of lives is being investigated, and 'appropriate action will be taken,' it added.

CM Rio, who was in Delhi, has now returned to the state and will visit Mon district on Monday. Rio had Sunday tweeted condemning the killing of civilians and announced a high-level SIT probe into the 'unfortunate' incident. Appealing for peace from all sections, Rio had said justice would be delivered as per the law of the land.

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