Home Minister Amit Shah said in Parliament on Nagaland – Firing took place due to mistaken identity

Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a statement in the Lok Sabha today regarding the firing incident in Nagaland. Expressing regret over the firing, he said that the incident happened due to mistaken identity. He said that a high-level inquiry has been ordered in the matter and all efforts are being made to maintain peace and order in the state.He said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the Nagaland incident Which has been asked to complete the investigation within a month.

Earlier, the opposition raised the matter in Parliament and demanded an inquiry and compensation for the families of those killed. PM Narendra Modi discussed this issue with senior ministers. The Home Minister said in the Lok Sabha that the central government regrets the death of 14 civilians. In the statement, Home Minister Shah mentioned only the incidents that happened over the weekend. In protest, opposition MPs (except Trinamool Congress) walked out of the house.

In Lok Sabha today, Congress’s Manish Tewari expressed displeasure over the incident and demanded a probe under the supervision of the sitting judge of the High Court. Gaurav Gogoi, MP from Tiwari’s own party, said how the unarmed people were eventually taken to be armed rebels. It is worth noting that in connection with the firing on civilians in MON district on Saturday evening, the Nagaland Police has registered an FIR, taking suo motu cognizance of the 21 Para Special Forces contingent of the Indian Army, in which total till now 14 villagers have died.

An army jawan has also died in a clash with the villagers after this incident. In the FIR, the Nagaland Police has clearly stated that the Para Special Forces did not inform the local police, nor did they take any police guide, That’s why the army says it was a ‘misidentification’. In the FIR, the police have stated “the intention of the security forces to kill and injure civilians”.

Nagaland’s MON district, bordering Myanmar, is under the AFSPA ACT, so unless the central government gives permission, the army cannot be prosecuted. Suicide charges have been filed against Army Special Forces.