Congress, BJP spar over Agnipath model as stir continues in Uttarakhand
DEHRADUN: As protests against the new defence recruitment scheme Agnipath continued across the state, including capital Dehradun, the BJP and Congress units of Uttarakhand have been engaged in a war of words, with the principal opposition party demanding the roll-back of the scheme, calling it a deceit with the unemployed youth.
Young defence aspirants on Saturday hit the streets at Lal Kuan in Haldwani, Gairsain in Chamoli and other parts of the state to register their protest against the Agnipath scheme. State Congress chief Karan Mahara said, ‘’The Agnipath recruitment scheme is a new hoax of the BJP. They are not just playing with the youth but also with the security of the country. It is enough, Modi ji, now please stop playing with the future of country and youth.”
State BJP president Madan Kaushik accused the Congress of instigating youth. ‘’The Agnipath scheme will make the Indian Army best in the world and will benefit the youth at a large scale. The opposition leaders and some so-called intellectuals see their future bleak in the bright future of this scheme. That is the reason why they are inciting the youth by misleading them,’’ he said.
With an aim to intensify its pressure on the BJP over the Agnipath scheme, the Uttarakhand unit of Congress will stage a dharna in Haldwani of Nainital district on Sunday over the police lathi-charge on hundreds of protesting youth at Tikonia Chouraha on Friday. Mahara and the leader of the opposition Yashpal Arya will also observe the day-long protest against the police action.
Former chief minister Harish Rawat, senior leaders and MLAs will also be the part of our “peaceful” protest, said state Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni.
On Friday, police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the army aspirants staging protests against the Centre’s latest scheme in Haldwani. Protests against Agnipath scheme were also witnessed in Tanakpur of Champawat district, Almora and Bageshwar on Friday.
On Saturday, Mahara shared a video of the Haldwani batoncharge on his Twitter profile to attack the government.
On the last day of assembly budget session on Friday, the Congress staged a walked out against police baton charge on youth protesting Agnipath scheme in Haldwani.
The Aam Aadmi Party unit of Uttarakhand also continues to criticise the move by sharing the videos of protesting youth in various parts of the state against the Agnipath scheme on its social media handles.
Meanwhile, director general of police Ashok Kumar, in a video message on Saturday, appealed to the youth to not engage in violence over Agnipath scheme.
‘’If they want to raise their voice, they should protest in a democratic and peaceful manner and not try to take law into their hands and damage public property,’’ he said.
On Friday, the state police chief had instructed district police in-charges to remain on their toes and engage with defence aspirants over Agnipath scheme protests to ensure law and order.