Protests continue even as Centre says 10 pc quota for ‘Agniveers’ in CAPFs
NEW DELHI/PATNA/T’PURAM: The Centre on Saturday announced several incentives including reserving 10 per cent vacancies in the defence ministry and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) for Agnipath retirees as violent protests raged on against the new military recruitment scheme in many states and opposition parties stepped up pressure for its rollback.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, however, strongly defended the scheme saying it was brought after wide-ranging consultations and suggested a misunderstanding was being spread for political reasons.
Singh also met Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Vice Chief of Army Staff Gen B S Raju and is learnt to have discussed a quick rollout of the Agnipath scheme and ways to pacify the agitators.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also said the PSUs under his housing and petroleum ministries are working on hiring ‘Agniveers’ after their fouryear service in the armed forces.
Mobs set ablaze Taregana railway station in Bihar during a bandh on Saturday and vandalised Ludhiana railway station in Punjab, as protesters continued to target railway properties on the fourth day of the stir and blocked roads and rail tracks in several states including West Bengal, Haryana, Rajasthan, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
Railways cancelled 369 trains on Saturday and passengers faced a harrowing time. Over 200 trains were cancelled a day earlier after the railways faced the brunt of the protests.
The agitation also spread to the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, with aspirants doing push-ups on roads at some places to register their protest.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said it has decided to reserve 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers. “The MHA also decides to give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles,” the ministry tweeted.
A 10 per cent reservation will be implemented in the Indian Coast Guard and defence civilian posts, and all the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s office. It said this reservation would be in addition to the existing quota for ex-servicemen.
Despite the Centre’s steps to assuage concerns, there was no let-up in protests.
In Patna and its outskirts, bandh supporters were restrained by Bihar police from forcing shops to down their shutters, but they hurled stones and set fire to Taregana railway station in Masaurhi sub-division and a jeep belonging to the railway police.
The railways have suffered massive losses in the state during protests in the last three days. More than 60 train coaches, 10 engines and some stations have been torched.
Congress MPs and leaders will sit on a “Satyagraha” at the Jantar Mantar here Sunday morning in solidarity with the youths protesting against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.
Youths across the country have taken to the streets against the contentious scheme, and incidents of violence have been reported in several cities and towns.
Sources said Congress MPs, its working committee members, and All India Congress Committee office-bearers will be part of the “Satyagraha” that begins at 10 AM at Jantar the Mantar on June 19.
“The decision was taken as the Agnipath scheme has enraged the youths of our country and they are protesting on the streets,” a party leader said. “It is our responsibility to stand by them.”
‘Directionless’, says Sonia
Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday termed “directionless” the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in the armed forces, and said her party will work for its withdrawal.
She also appealed to the youths protesting against the scheme to adopt peaceful and non-violent means to fight for their demands.
“It is unfortunate that the government has announced a new armed forces’ recruitment policy, which is completely directionless and it has done so while ignoring your voices,” she said in a statement in Hindi, to the youths.
Declaring her party’s support for them, the Congress president said along with the youths, several ex-soldiers and defence experts have questioned the scheme.