Massive protests were carried out against Amit Shah, protesters demand an apology from the UHM for his statement in Parliament.
Earlier, on Sunday, December 5, 2021, the Indian army soldiers drove past the main town in a convoy in Kohima, the capital of northeastern Nagaland state, and 13 innocent civilians were shot at by security forces in a botched-up” operation has caused widespread outrage in Nagaland, which has witnessed decades of armed rebellion against Indian rule. The area has been fairly calm in recent years, as armed groups started negotiations with the Indian government.
The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah on speaking on the ambush had said that the Army had only opened fire because the truck with the villagers accelerated away when ordered to stop. “The Army unit, suspecting insurgents were in the vehicle, opened fire, he said.
Furious residents carried out a massive protest rally demanding an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his false and fabricated statement in the Parliament, according to NDTV.
Some sources also allege that while the first six civilians were shot by mistake, the other seven were shot to cover up the mistake.
There was fresh violence flaring up on Sunday after a great crowd of people marched to a security forces camp in Mon town and started damaging and burning buildings, a state government official said.
“The people are very angry,” said Honang Konyak, the vice president of the Konyak Union, the apex body of the Konyak Tribe which dominates Mon district located on the Indo-Myanmar border.
“The security forces, who were supposed to be guardians, have killed innocents,” he said.
NDTV also reports, “Protesters burned an effigy of the Home Minister to underline the extent of their anger – both against Mr. Shah and his allegedly incorrect statement and against the central government over the continued imposition of AFSPA, or the Special Forces Act, that, they fear, will be invoked to shield the guilty.”
The protesters – also including people from the Oting Village, the home of 12 of the 14 killed – were led by a body of tribes Konyak Union, and demanded an immediate withdrawal of Shah’s statement from the Parliament’s records.
“We are asking for justice… we don’t need sympathy. Twisting of truth is unfortunate… Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in Parliament (is) confusing the world with wrong information. He should immediately withdraw… we demand his apology,” Honang Konyak, the union’s Vice President, was quoted by NDTV.
“We will not rest until justice is delivered to those 14 Konyak youth who were killed,” he added.
NDTV adds, “These demands, they have said, must be added to the five already placed in front of the center.”
It is feared also that the empowerment of the AFSPA, or Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act will allow the armed forces to indiscriminately kill innocent citizens without any accountability.
