Agnipath protests: 260 people held, 6 FIRs registered in UP
18 June, 2022 | Pravina Srivastava
250 people have been arrested and six FIRs have been filed in connection with the violent protests against the Centre's Agnipath recruitment plan
In Uttar Pradesh, at least 250 people have been arrested and six FIRs have been filed in connection with the violent protests against the Centre’s Agnipath recruitment plan until Friday.
The FIRs were filed in Firozabad, Aligarh, Varanasi, and Gautam Buddh Nagar districts, according to ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar’s statement. Ballia with 109 persons detained, followed by Mathura with 70, Aligarh with 31, Varanasi (27) and Gautam Budh Nagar with 15.
During the protest against the Agnipath recruiting scheme, a mob vandalized a train at the Ballia railway station in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.
Meanwhile, anti-Agnipath riots have engulfed Bihar, with mobs torching scores of railway carriages, engines, and stations, as well as BJP offices, automobiles, and other property.
Many Army recruits are dissatisfied with the new recruitment scheme’s adjustments, particularly the length of service, the lack of pension benefits for those released early, and the 17.5 to 21-year age restriction, which has rendered many of them ineligible.
Following anti-Agnipath rallies, the Central government raised the Army recruiting scheme’s upper age limit from 21 to 23 years on Thursday.
Agnipath Scheme was created to provide the Armed Forces a more young profile and a new lease on life, while also bringing about a revolutionary shift towards a more tech-savvy Armed Forces, which is indeed the need of the hour, according to the defence ministry.
The Armed Forces will have sole authority over the selection. This year, a total of 46,000 Agniveers will be recruited.