Manipur: NPF, Congress seeks complete withdrawal of AFSPA from Northeast

Echoing a similar sentiment, Congress spokesperson Devbrata Khumanthem said the partial rollback was a good start, but the party is calling for the Act to be repealed entirely in Manipur.

He questioned why the Centre had limited the withdrawal of the Act to specific areas when the BJP government has claimed that law and order in the state as a whole has improved in the last five years.

The Opposition Congress and Naga People's Front (NPF), a BJP ally in Manipur, have demanded that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act be repealed entirely in the Northeast.

The Centre decided on Thursday to reduce the number of areas in Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur that are subject to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) with effect from Friday.

The NPF's state General Secretary, Honreikhui Kashung, stated that the party was dissatisfied with the Act's partial repeal.

"Our movement is for the removal of AFSPA from the entire Northeast, not just specific areas," he explained.