According to the government, the Agnipath scheme aims to reduce the average age of security forces.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann joined the growing chorus of leaders who have expressed opposition to the new military recruitment scheme known as ‘Agnipath.’ With the protests entering their third day, tensions have risen in many states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, and Telangana, where one person was killed in Secunderabad on Friday.
Bhagwant Mann demanded that the scheme be scrapped in a tweet. “After halting army recruitment for two years, the centre issued a new directive: serve in the army for four years and then receive no pension. This is an insult to the army and deception to the country’s youth. The youth of the country are outraged. The decision was made without hesitation. We demand that the decision be overturned.”
After the Agnipath scheme was unveiled on Tuesday, most opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati, and Akhilesh Yadav, spoke out about the halt in army recruitment due to the pandemic. Mann’s tweet comes a day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requested that the short-term condition be dropped. “Call on the central government to give young people the opportunity to serve their country for the rest of their lives, not just four years. Those who have reached the age limit in the last two years should also be considered, “he said in a Hindi tweet.
“The central government’s new army recruitment scheme is being met with widespread opposition across the country. Young people are furious. Their demands are reasonable. The army is our country’s pride; our youth want to devote their entire lives to the country; don’t limit their dreams to four years, ” he stated.
Trains were set ablaze in three states on Friday, and protests raged in many other parts of the country. The Delhi Police is on high alert, and entry to some metro stations has been restricted, while gatherings in neighboring Gurugram have been prohibited.
One person was killed in Secunderabad, Telangana, during clashes between cops and protesters. Security forces in Uttar Pradesh are on high alert after an isolated train coach was set ablaze in Ballia. Bihar is also on edge due to the protests, with the JDU, the BJP’s coalition partner, urging a reconsideration.
Meanwhile, the government raised the age limit for the Agnipath scheme from 21 to 23 on Thursday night.
The government announced on Tuesday that the scheme’s enrollment “will be based on an ‘All India All Class’ basis, with eligible ages ranging from 17.5 to 21 years.”
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
