Agnipath Scheme: 1 killed, trains burnt, stations vandalised: Protesters walk on as Centre firefights | 10 Points

In the wake of massive protests against the Agnipath recruitment scheme, the Centre on Saturday announced 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles.

The Ministry of Home Affairs also decided to give three years of age relaxation in its 17.5-21 years eligibility criteria for recruitment of Agniveers in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. Notably, the first batch of Agniveers will get a relaxation of five years beyond the prescribed upper age limit.

One person was killed in police firing in Telangana’s Secunderabad, trains were torched, railway stations and highways turned into battlegrounds as youth fury over the Agnipath recruitment scheme blazed in several states on Friday.

The Centre unveiled Agnipath on Tuesday, under which most soldiers will leave service in just four years — 45,000 to 50,000 aspirants will be recruited annually but only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.

The protesters are demanding a rollback of the short-term recruitment scheme, as they are unhappy with the length of service, no pension provisions for those released early and the 17.5 to 21-year age restriction that now makes many of them ineligible.

Here’s what we know so far about Agnipath scheme and the protests raging across the country:

1. A 24-year-old Army aspirant was killed when Railway Protection Force resorted to aerial firing to disperse a mob of around 2,000 protesters, who pelted stones at trains and committed arson at the Secunderabad railway station in Telangana. At least 13 others were injured in the violent protests.
2. In Bihar, the house of Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi was attacked in West Champaran district. Later, protesters set train coaches on fire in Samastipur, Lakhisarai and Ara. Lakhminia railway station was also vandalised as job aspirants continued to pour into railway stations, blocking tracks and affecting rail services. A BJP office in Madhepura was also torched during the agitation.

In the aftermath of violent protests, the Bihar government has suspended internet and mobile telephone services in many districts. Internet and telecom services will remain suspended till June 19 in districts Kaimur, Bhojpur, Aurangabad, Rohtas, Buxar, Nawada, West Champaran, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Begusarai, Vaishali and Saran.

3. Chaotic scenes unfolded in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia on Friday as protesters set an empty train on fire and vandalised a few other locomotives, leading to a baton charge by police to disperse the mob. Protests also erupted in Varanasi, Firozabad and Amethi, causing damage to government buses and other symbols of public property. A local BJP leader’s car was torched in Aligarh.

A total of 260 people were arrested and six FIRs lodged until Friday in UP in connection with violent protests over the Agnipath scheme. The maximum arrests were made in Ballia (109), followed by Mathura (70) Aligarh (31) Varanasi (27) and Gautam Budh Nagar (15).

4. Heated protests raged in Haryana for the second day in a row as protesters pelted vehicles with stones in Ballabhgarh, squatted on railway tracks in Jind and burnt tyres in Rohtak. Police resorted to a mild lathicharge and rounded up over 40 youths in Ballabhgarh, where the authorities extended suspension of mobile internet and SMS services for next 24 hours starting 10 pm on Friday as a precautionary measure.

The authorities also extended suspension of mobile internet and SMS services except voice calls in Palwal district for next 24 hours ending 8 pm Saturday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in some of the districts where protests broke out, including Palwal, Faridabad, Rohtak and Narnaul. Over 1,000 people have been booked for Thursday’s violence in Palwal district, and three FIRs registered in connection with the violence.

5. Hundreds of youngsters blocked the Agra-Bandikui railway track in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur and pelted police personnel with stones, due to which police resorted to firing tear gas shells. Similar scenes played out in Chittorgarh, where protesters vandalised railway stations and lobbed stones at cops, shattering the windshield of a police car. In Sikar, aspirants raised anti-Centre slogans and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A roadways bus was vandalised in Neem Ka Thana area of the district.
6. Army chief General Manoj Pande said the government’s Thursday night decision to raise the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 under the scheme for this year will provide an opportunity to youths who were preparing to join the force but couldn’t in the last two years.
7. Union Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the sentiment, adding that the recruitment process in the Army had been affected for the last two years due to the Covid pandemic and PM Modi took a sensitive decision by showing concern for the youth of the country.
8. In a bid to assuage fears, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Friday that the Agnipath scheme aims to reduce the age profile of armed forces from 32 to around 25 and modernise the forces.
9. Amid the raging protests, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the scheme a “golden opportunity” for the youth, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged protesters not to destroy railway assets.
10. However, assurances by the government got the short shrift from aspirants, who continued their rampage in many states. Several students’ organisations, including CPI-ML (Liberation)-linked AISA, have called a state-wide shutdown in Bihar on Saturday. The opposition Grand Alliance’s spearhead RJD has extended support to the shutdown call.

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