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Agnipath scheme: Protests gather momentum in western U.P.
Many organisations in western Uttar Pradesh are extending support to the ongoing protests against the new defence recruitment scheme Agnipath
Many organisations in western Uttar Pradesh are extending support to the ongoing protests against the new defence recruitment scheme Agnipath. On Saturday, leaders and workers of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) staged protests at collectorates in different districts, They also handed over memorandum to President of India through officials demanding withdrawal of the scheme.
During the day, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) also took out a march on the last day of its three-day “Chintan Shivir” in Haridwar. BKU leader Rakesh Tikait has also announced to stage protests at district headquarters on June 30 to oppose the new recruitment scheme. “The government should hold conversation over the issue and need to withdraw the new scheme immediately,” said Tikait who took out a March along with hundreds of his supporters in Haridwar in protest against the new recruitment scheme.
RLD leader Jayant Singh Bishnoi visited Kisan Ghat in Delhi along with party MLAs on Saturday morning and observed a silent protest there as they lent support to calls for withdrawal of the new initiative. He urged protestors to not indulge in any violence on the issue.
RLD has announced to organise youth panchayats in different districts of western UP from June 26 to oppose the Agnipath scheme. Party’s national media coordinator Surendra Sharma said party leaders and workers staged protests at headquarters in different districts of western UP and handed over memorandum demanding withdrawal of the scheme immediately.
Rashtriya Jat Mahasabha’s state president Rohit Jakhar participated in a demonstration staged by some youths opposing the scheme outside the divisional commissioner’s office in Meerut on Friday. Jakhar said youths were being contacted in villages and hoped that they would be mobilised in big numbers to join the youth panchayats.
Meanwhile, angry youths demonstrated outside the divisional commissioner’s office in Meerut for two consecutive days (Thursday and Friday) and handed over a memorandum of their demands to officials. Some angry youths also staged protests in Gulaothi and Ahmadgarh area of Bulandshahr. They also pelted a roadways bus with stones in Ahmadgarh and police vehicles in Gulaothi on Friday.
SP( city), Bulandshahr, along with a police force visited Chola railway station and manned a force there after receiving inputs about protests in Chola and Kakod areas on Friday. Earlier, angry youths demonstrated at Bhood crossing and in Khurja in Bulandshahr.
On Friday, district magistrate, Baghpat, Rajkamal Yadav and SP Neeraj Kumar Jadaun inspected Khekra railway station in Baghpat and directed the officials and RPF personnel to be on alert. Both the officials appealed to people to maintain peace. Some youths also staged a demonstration at J V College of Baraut demanding withdrawal of the new recruitment scheme.
Meanwhile, trains which pass through western UP were delayed by several hours. Utkal Express, Golden Temple Express, Shalimar Express and Nauchadni Express got delayed due to ongoing protest in Bihar and other states.
