ITANAGAR: Political parties in Arunachal Pradesh have expressed divergent views on partial lifting of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) here. The AFSPA , which empowers security forces to conduct operations, arrest anyone anywhere without prior notice, has been removed from all areas of Meghalaya and partially in Arunachal Pradesh from March 31.In Arunachal Pradesh, areas under the controversial Act have been reduced from 16 police stations areas bordering Assam to eight police stations besides Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts.Chief minister Pema Khandu , welcoming the decision, said, "It must be understood that we don't have any homegrown insurgency groups. At times, a few insurgent elements from outside try to make Arunachal Pradesh their safe haven and therefore AFSPA was necessitated in 16 police stations bordering Assam and three districts of the state bordering Myanmar."He said the law and order in the state had drastically improved in the last couple of years due to constant efforts of security forces and comprehensive plans and policies of the Union home ministry and the state police. Saying the decision to cut down on the promulgation of AFSPA here by 50% was taken in this backdrop, the CM said, "We are in fact in agreement with the central government with regard to the latest decision."The state BJP said the Centre has the prerogative to study the ground situation in the state, and lift the Act for peace and tranquillity if permissible. "It is a central subject and the Centre decides to lift the Act after studying the ground realities as the presence of anti-national elements in the northeast cannot be denied. The Centre, after going through the ground realities should lift the Act for public convenience from those areas where such activities have been stopped," state unit of BJP president Tapir Gao said.Demanding total lifting of the Act, Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Takam Sanjoy said his party wanted lifting of the controversial Act once and for all. "When the Centre could lift the Act from Meghalaya why not in Arunachal Pradesh, as there have been no terrorist activities in the state for several years? There are other laws to deal with such activities and the controversial Act will jeopardize public peace in the relatively peaceful state," Sanjoy said.The former MP further added that the Act is not relevant to a state like Arunachal Pradesh and the Union home ministry had arbitrarily extended the Act to the state at a time when the Naga rebel groups are engaged in peace talks. "This Act should be immediately lifted from all areas of the state without any question," Sanjoy added.People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) president Kahfa Bengia, however, said the Act should be lifted from all police station areas in the state except the districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding.All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union president Hawa Bagang, however, lent support to the Act and said AFSPA should be imposed in the state to curb anti-social activities by insurgent groups from neighbouring states.

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