‘Agnipath’ anger boils over with violence across states DON’T TAKE ‘AGNIPAREEKSHA’ OF UNEMPLOYED YOUTH, SAYS RAHUL TO PM
NEW DELHI: Protests against the new Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed forces continued for a second day on Thursday, with demonstrations – sometimes violent -- seen in several states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan.
The Agnipath scheme was announced on Tuesday by defence minister Rajnath Singh and the three service chiefs. This scheme, for the short- term induction of soldiers in the armed forces, will replace the legacy system of recruitment to lower the age profile of the three services, ensure a fitter military and create a technically adept war fighting force capable of meeting future challenges.
The Agnipath scheme, cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday, seeks to recruit soldiers, including women, for only four years with a provision to retain 25% of them in the regular cadre for another 15 years after another round of screening, enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces and create a skilled and dynamic work force for employment in other sectors, top government officials said.
On Thursday, protests against the recruitment scheme erupted into violence, with trains set afire, window panes of buses smashed and passersby, including a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator, pelted with stones.
Police fired teargas shells and
NEW DELHI: Amid protests against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to the voice of unemployed youths and not take ‘agnipareeksha (trial by fire)’ of their patience by making them walk on ‘agnipath’ (path of fire).
Protests against the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for hiring jawans on a short-term contractual basis were reported from various parts of the country on Thursday.
“No rank, no pension, no direct recruitment for 2 years, no stable future after four years, no respect shown by the government for the army,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, attacking the Centre over the scheme.
“Listen to the voice of unemployed youths of the country, don’t take ‘agnipareeksha’ of their patience by making them walk on ‘Agnipath’, Mr. prime minister,” he said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hit out at the government over the scheme and urged the prime minister not to “crush the dreams of the youth”.