Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 17: Several youths were detained as they took to streets in Jammu and Kashmir and tried blocking highways to protest against the newly launched Agnipath military recruitment scheme, an official said.
The unhappy army aspirants demonstrated in Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts of the state.
Police resorted to lathicharge and detained several protestors after they became violent and indulged in stone pelting at Kunjwani Chowk on Jammu-Pathankot Highway.
Accusing police of high-handedness, one of the protesters said that the aspirants had just started assembling when police resorted to lathicharge without any provocation.
He said that they reject the new scheme and took to streets to press for their recruitment as per the previous scheme. Click here to watch video
“We have submitted our forms for recruitment in the army in February 2020 and have already cleared the physical and medical examination. The written test was not undertaken by the army over the past one year and now they have come up with this scheme which is unjustified and anti-youth,” he said amid anti-BJP sloganeering.
The protesters have threatened to intensify the agitation in the coming days.
However, a case under relevant sections has been registered at Police Station Gangyal against the protesting youth.
Another group of protestors tried to block the Jammu-Pathankot Highway near Kalibari Chowk in Kathua district, the official said, adding that police dispersed those who pulled down a poster of Union Minister Jitendra Singh and raised slogans against Bharatiya Janata Party.
Another group of protesters blocked the Jammu-Rajouri National Highway near Muradpur before dispersing peacefully on the intervention of police, the official added.
Unveiling the scheme on Tuesday, the government said youths between the ages of 17 and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure while 25 per cent of them will be subsequently inducted for regular service.
The youths to be recruited under the new scheme would be called ‘Agniveer’. A major objective of the scheme is to bring down the average age of military personnel and cut ballooning salary and pension bills.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma while addressing a press conference lashed out at the new recruitment scheme “Agnipath” for armed forces, which has sent a wave of frustration amongst the youth of the country, who have reacted angrily throughout country. He sought to withdraw it and hold regular recruitment to the armed forces, as before including the backlog of past over two years.
The NSUI extended its support to the protesting army aspirants. National President Neeraj Kundan in his tweet appealed to the students protest peacefully and announced that NSUI will raise the issue through Sainik Satyagraha Nationally against the Government’s decision, The Rajasthan Unit of the organisation will march Delhi from Bikaner on 21st June. In his statement to the media, Neeraj Kundan said that this Government takes decisions and makes schemes without consulting the interested parties. “We will raise this issue on the streets, in the parliament and if necessary will go to the court”, he added. National Spokesperson of NSUI Harshad Sharma said that NSUI will go in every city and every street to stand with these protesting aspirants.
Seeking immediate rollback of the ill-conceived Agnipath Scheme, Former Minister and senior National Conference leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra called for resumption of recruitment rallies in the Country as per time tested practice of seven decades.
Shiv Sena J&K Unit Chief Manish Sahni while addressing a press conference slammed the BJP led Government at the Centre for playing with the future of youth of the country by introducing schemes like Agniveer and sought its immediate withdrawal. He urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdrawn Agniveer scheme immediately.
Various Sikh Organizations of J&K held a meeting under the chairmanship of Sudershan Singh Wazir Chairman Sikh United front J&K in which they requested the Government to review the new Agnipath recruitment scheme which promotes the “contractualisation” of jobs in the Indian Defence forces.
Zeeshan Rana, Additional Spokesperson National Conference criticized the Central Government over the newly introduced Agnipath scheme, saying the BJP dispensation requiring to amend rules under the scheme soon after its announcement indicates it was imposed on the youth in haste and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
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