Chidambaram Slams Centre’s ‘Muscular, Militaristic Approach’ in North East, Says Policy Will Fail

New Delhi: Former finance minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said he would wait to see if Prime Minister Narendra Modi acts against Meghalaya governor Tathagata Roy for his tweet supporting a ban on Kashmiri goods.

Roy had recently tweeted in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack that people must stop visiting Kashmir or buying goods from Kashmiri tradesmen. “An appeal from a retired colonel of the Indian Army: Don’t visit Kashmir, don’t go to Amarnath for the next 2 years. Don’t buy articles from Kashmir emporia or Kashmiri tradesman who come every winter. Boycott everything Kashmiri. I am inclined to agree,” he wrote.

The Governor’s tweet received flak from most opposition parties as well as National People's Party (NPP) and United Democratic Party (UDP) — members of Meghalaya’s ruling alliance.

Chidambaram also slammed the Centre for the ministry of home affairs’ notification on Friday, which empowered Assam Rifles personnel to arrest anyone and search a place without a warrant in the Northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram.

His tweet read, “When the cry is for more humane and just laws, government allows Assam Rifles to search and arrest without warrant!”

The former finance minister called the notification a ‘muscular, militaristic approach’ and said the approach will fail in North East as it has in Kashmir. “This is the extension of the muscular, militaristic approach to the North East. This approach failed in Kashmir, it will fail in the North Eastern States,” he said.

According to the home ministry notification, "an officer of the rank corresponding to that of the lowest rank of members of the Assam Rifles" has been given these powers under the Code of Criminal Procedure. Assam Rifles personnel will exercise these powers and discharge their duties "under sub-section(1) of section 41, sections 47, 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 149, 150, 151 and 152 of the CrPC within the local limits of the area comprised within the border districts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram”.