Here are the latest developments from the ongoing protests against the Agnipath scheme from across the country
Here are the latest developments from the ongoing protests against the Agnipath scheme from across the country
Despite the Centre’s steps to assuage concerns and police arresting hundreds of people for the violence, there was no let-up in the anti-Agnipath protests. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla chaired a meeting of Directors-General of Police and Chief Secretaries of all States on Sunday in view of the violence over the Agnipath scheme and the Bharat bandh call for Monday.
It is not clear which organisation had announced the country-wide protest but the police in several areas imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prohibiting gatherings of more than four people at a time based on social media posts.
Explained | The Agnipath scheme for armed forces
Several students’ organisations, including CPI-ML (Liberation)-linked AISA, had called a State-wide bandh in Bihar on June 18. The opposition Grand Alliance’s spearhead RJD extended support to the bandh. Protests erupted in several States on June 16 against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for recruitment of soldiers between 17.5 and 21 years of age across the three services for a four-year period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.
The Centre on June 18 announced several incentives including a 10% reservation in vacancies in the defence ministry and paramilitary forces for Agnipath retirees as it tried to defuse the violent protests that raged on against the new military recruitment scheme in many States and the opposition parties stepped up pressure for a rollback.
Here are the latest updates
Opinion
Agnipath, a fire that could singe India
It was on September 15, 2013 that Narendra Modi addressed an ex-servicemen rally at Rewari, Haryana as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate, where he vociferously supported the demand of ‘One Rank One Pension’ (OROP) for all soldiers. Mr. Modi was then campaigning in poetry, and nine years later, as the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of short-term contracted soldiers was announced, he has been forced to contend with the reality of governing in prose. However hard the Government may try to obfuscate, the driving factor for this U-turn — from ‘One Rank One Pension’ to ‘No Rank No Pension’ — is economics.
TH Explains
Explained | Why is Agnipath under widespread attack?
Agnipath or Tour of Duty will be the only mode of recruitment of soldiers, sailors, and airmen from now on. It envisages enlisting youths aged between 17.5 years and 21 years — the upper limit has been extended to 23 years this year after protests — for a period of just four years, also counting their training time. At the expiry of their contract, only 25% of these soldiers, to be known as Agniveers, will be re-enlisted for regular military service.
11:00 AM |
Large potential for employment of Agniveers in corporate sector: Mahindra
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on June 20 expressed dismay over the violence against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme while asserting that the farm equipment to aerospace conglomerate welcomes the opportunity to recruit trained, capable and young people under the programme.
Expressing his opinion on the scheme to recruit youths between the age of 17 and-a-half and 23 years for a four-year tenure in defence services amid widespread violence across States against it, he said there is a large potential for employment of “Agniveers” in the corporate sector.
10:10 AM | Delhi
Traffic in central Delhi to be affected due to Congress protest
Traffic in parts of central Delhi will be affected on June 20 due to the Congress’ protest against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme and “vendetta politics” against Rahul Gandhi, according to traffic police.
Mr. Gandhi is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald money laundering case and will appear before the agency for the fourth time on Monday. – PTI
10:00 AM | Noida
CrPC 144 already imposed, don’t violate law: Noida cops warn ahead of proposed Bharat Bandh
Youngsters raise slogans during a protest against the Agnipath scheme, in Meerut, on Thursday, June 16, 2022.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Amid a call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on June 20 over the Agnipath scheme, the Gautam Buddh Nagar police on Sunday reiterated that CrPC section 144 is imposed in the district and asked people to not engage in any activity which disrupts law and order.
The police’s appeal came even as a group of ex-servicemen submitted a memorandum with authorities demanding strict against “anti-social” elements involved in the violence during protests against Centre’s new scheme for recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and Air Force.
So far, 225 people have been booked and 15 arrested in connection with the violent protest at the Jewar toll plaza on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida on Friday. – PTI
10:00 AM |
Agniveers to have rank and insignia distinct from existing ranks
Agniveers recruited under the Agnipath scheme would form a distinct rank different from any other existing rank and also sport distinctive insignia on their uniform, according to the Terms and Conditions of the scheme. The Indian Air Force (IAF), in a detailed brief, ‘Agnipath scheme for enrolment in armed forces’ said Agnipath is a “new HR (Human Resource) Management scheme” for the armed forces.
10:00 AM |
Centre bans 35 WhatsApp groups for spreading fake news on Agnipath scheme
As many as 35 WhatsApp groups that were allegedly spreading fake news about the Agnipath military recruitment scheme were on Sunday banned by the government, officials said.
The move came amid violent protests against the scheme in different parts of the country since it was announced a few days ago.
Congress
Agnipath is first step to outsource Indian Army: Congress leaders
Demanding rollback of the Agnipath scheme, Telangana Congress held a day-long deeksha at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday.
The deeksha was addressed by Sangareddy legislator T. Jayaprakash Reddy, Manthani MLA D. Sreedhar Babu, senior leaders J. Geetha Reddy, Mahesh Kumar Goud, V. Hanumantha Rao, G. Chinna Reddy, and Mallu Ravi, among others. They termed the new scheme as the first step to outsource the Army.
Bandh call
Home Secretary reviews law and order over bandh call
Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla chaired a meeting of Directors-General of Police and Chief Secretaries of all States on Sunday in view of the violence over the Agnipath scheme and the Bharat bandh call for Monday.
It is not clear which organisation had announced the country-wide protest to take place on Monday, but the police in several areas imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prohibiting gatherings of more than four people at a time based on social media posts.
BJP
BJP accuses Opposition of doing politics with national security after it opposes Agnipath
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday accused Opposition parties of doing politics on issues of national security as protests continued against the new short service scheme launched by the government for recruitment in the armed forces called “Agnipath”. On a day when the Congress held a protest against the scheme, the BJP made strong remarks against the support that the Opposition was extending to naysayers of the Agnipath scheme.
Congress
PM Modi forced youth to walk on Agnipath of unemployment: Rahul Gandhi
Amid widespread protests against the new military recruitment scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on June 19 launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said by repeatedly giving false hope of jobs, he has forced the youth to walk on ‘Agnipath’ of unemployment.
He also said 16 crore jobs were to be given in eight years, but the youth only got knowledge on “frying pakoras”.
