On December 6, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Nagaland firing incident in which over 13 civilians lost their lives. HM Shah said that the security forces had got a tip-off about insurgents movement in the area.
A battalion of 21 Para Commandos laid down an ambush to attack the insurgents. During that time, a vehicle was passing by that was asked to stop by the security forces. Instead of stopping, the driver tried to escape the scene. The security forces suspected there were insurgents in the vehicle, and they opened fire. Six out of eight people died. Later it was found that it was a case of mistaken identity.
“The two injured were shifted to the hospital by the Army,” HM Shah added. He further said, “When the locals came to know about the incident, they surrounded the battalion and attacked them. The mob burnt down two army vehicles and attacked the soldiers. One soldier lost his life in the attack.” He said to save themselves from the attack and to disperse the crowd, the security forces had to open fire at them. “Another seven civilians lost their lives, and many were injured,” he added. The local Police reached the spot and tried to calm down the situation. “The situation is tense but under control,” HM Shah said.
On December 5, higher officials of Nagaland Police reached the spot. The case has been transferred to State Crime Police Station. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the case. The SIT has been instructed to complete the investigation in a month.
HM Shah said that on the evening of December 5, a mob of around 250 people attacked the operating base of Assam Rifles in Mon and vandalized the base. They also set COP’s house on fire. The Assam Rifles personnel had to open fire to disperse the crowd that resulted in the death of one more civilian. Another Civilian got injured. HM Shah added, “Additional forces have been deployed in the area to ensure law and order is maintained. In a press note, the Army has expressed regret over the death of civilians.”
He further said that Army would also investigate the reasons behind the incident and would take appropriate action as per the law. “I contacted Governor and Chief Minister of Nagaland. Home Ministry also contacted the Chief Secretary of the state. Yesterday, the ministry closely monitored the situation. Upper Secretary of North East was rushed to Kohima where he met Chief Secretary, senior government officials of Nagaland and senior army officials on Monday morning.” He said that the officials are trying to calm down the situation as quickly as possible.
The Home Ministry has further instructed the security agencies to ensure while fighting the insurgents, they should be extra vigilant so that such incidents do not happen in the future. Curfew has been imposed in the region to control the situation. “The government of India expresses its condolences to the families of the deceased,” he added.
The opposition continuously raised slogans while HM Shah was addressing Rajya Sabha.
The Home Minister expressed regret over the situation and stated that all agencies have been instructed to ensure that no such incidents are reported in the future.
PM Discussed situation with HM and ministers
PM Modi earlier discussed the situation with the ministers and Home Minister Amit Shah. As per reports, the situation in Nagaland and the government’s strategy in both houses was discussed during the meeting.