Army job aspirants protest in opposition to Agnipath scheme, block freeway in Punjab

By PTI

RUPNAGAR/ CHANDIGARH: Army job aspirants took out protest marches in opposition to the Agnipath scheme in Rupnagar and Hoshiarpur districts of Punjab on Sunday and blocked vehicular visitors on the Chandigarh-Una nationwide freeway in Anandpur Sahib for an hour.

Amid protests, police have been directed to watch the scenario very intently and take appropriate preventive motion to make sure peace.

According to police, a bunch of youths from villages round Anandpur Sahib in Punjab’s Rupnagar district staged a protest, demanding the Army recruitment course of to proceed as earlier and rapid withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme.

The protesters raised slogans in opposition to the BJP-led central authorities and blocked vehicular visitors on the Chandigarh-Una nationwide freeway in Anandpur Sahib for an hour. A heavy police deployment was made to forestall any untoward incident.

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Another protest was held in Hoshiarpur district. Hundreds of aspirants took out a protest march from the Army floor to Mata Rani Chowk in Hoshiarpur district’s Mukerian and burnt effigy of the Union authorities to protest in opposition to the Agnipath scheme.

There have been protests in opposition to the Agnipath scheme in lots of components of Haryana and some components of Punjab up to now few days.

In a communication to all police commissioners and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) from the Addl DGP (Law and Order), it has been acknowledged that these protests are being mobilized via social media platforms, therefore there’s a have to activate social media cells and monitor actions of teams that are actively mobilizing or spreading instigating details about the scheme.

The native police shall monitor the scenario very intently and take appropriate preventive motion to make sure peace within the space. Offices and installations associated to central authorities departments shall be strongly protected whereas safety round different very important installations needs to be strengthened.

Senior cops have been directed to personally contain themselves in monitoring these protests and stay stationed the place the protesters collect. Commissioners of police and SSPs have been directed to tie-up with district magistrates for deployment of an obligation Justice of the Peace.

Local police might resort to take motion as per regulation if anybody indulges in injury to public property, in keeping with the communication.

Police commissioners and SSPs shall stay in shut contact with native central armed police forces commander and request them to maintain their pressure on standby in case of response to any eventuality, it says.

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The central authorities on Tuesday unveiled the Agnipath scheme, beneath which youths between the age of 17-and-a-half and 21 years can be inducted within the Army, Navy and the Air Force for a four-year tenure.

Twenty-five per cent of the recruits might be retained for normal service. The new scheme was projected by the federal government as a significant overhaul of the decades-old choice course of to reinforce the youthful profile of the three companies.

On Thursday, the higher age restrict was raised to 23 years for 2022 as protests in opposition to the brand new mannequin for enrolment of troopers into the three companies unfold. The announcement of the brand new scheme got here within the backdrop of recruitments into the army remaining stalled for over two years because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In makes an attempt to quell the protests, the house ministry on Saturday introduced reserving 10 per cent vacancies within the central armed police forces and the Assam Rifles for ‘Agniveers’ and a three-year leisure within the higher age restrict.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh additionally authorised a proposal to order 10 per cent of the job vacancies within the defence ministry for ‘Agniveers’ who meet requisite eligibility standards.