Despite the government allaying all fears concerning the Agnipath scheme, widespread misinformed and aggressive protests were witnessed across states on Friday, with youth demanding a complete rollback of the Army recruitment program.
Incidents of violence, vandalism, torching of railway trains, stone-pelting, and attacks on police personnel were seen in several parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Telangana.
Many Army aspirants are unhappy with the changes introduced under the new recruitment scheme, particularly the length of service, no pension provisions, and the age restriction that makes many of them ineligible. The protests continued for the third straight day, despite the Centre extending the upper age limit for recruitment of Agniveers from 21 years to 23 years.
Agitations spilled over to several districts in Bihar as youths protested by lying down on the railway tracks and blocking roads, demanding the scrapping of the scheme. Huge crowds gathered in the Bihar’s Chhapra, Jehanabad, Munger, and Nawada areas of Bihar, demanding the withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme. A group of army aspirants protested at Bhabua Road Railway Station and blocked the tracks before setting a train on fire.
A similar protest against the scheme was witnessed in Uttar Pradesh’s Balia, where a huge mob vandalized a train at the Ballia Railway Station in protest against the Agnipath scheme.
A total of 200 train services have been affected due to the ongoing agitation, while 35 train services stand canceled and 13 have been short terminated, throughout the country
People hit the streets in Haryana’s Palwal against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of youths to defense services. Following this, the Police personnel deployed at the DC residence in Palwal resorted to aerial firing to warn protesters who were pelting stones at the residence.
Several police vehicles were torched, several roadways buses were damaged in stone-pelting and the National Highway 19 was also blocked. The Police used tear gas shells and fired in the air to control the mob.
Agnipath Scheme was recently launched by the government in an effort to transform the recruitment process of the Armed Forces.
With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash from Opposition, the Centre decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers.
