E-Paper
BJP expels party worker after name crops up in Agnipath stir
BJP officer bearer Sudhir Sharma runs a coaching centre in Aligarh and is accused of inciting students during last Friday’s violent protests against Agnipath scheme.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expelled party office bearer Sudhir Sharma whose coaching center in Tappal area of Aligarh district came under scanner for allegedly provoking students during last Friday’s protest against the Centre’s new recruitment scheme for Indian armed forces—Agnipath.
Sharma was among eleven coaching center owners who were arrested for allegedly inciting students during the largescale protest that rocked the district. These coaching centers were mainly from Tappal area in Khair assembly seat of Aligarh district that saw burning of six roadways buses and vandalism at a police outpost.
Spokesperson for BJP unit in Aligarh Ashish Kumar confirmed that Sharma was a party worker and has been expelled from the party on Sunday by district unit president at Aligarh, Rishipal Singh on instructions of regional president of BJP Rajnikant Maheshwari and a copy of this expulsion letter was forwarded to Swatantra Dev Singh, state BJP president.
“Sudhir Sharma was vice president of Tappal mandal. A mandal in organizational network of BJP is a small unit having 21 to 25 party workers. There are 35 mandals in Aligarh district. As such Sharma was a small office bearer of party in Aligarh,” the spokesperson added.
SSP Aligarh Kalanidhi Naithani said “During investigations, names of those running coaching centers had surfaced for disturbing peace in Aligarh district and 11 of them were arrested so far. We have sufficient evidences, including statements against them.”
Meanwhile, coaching centres in Agra remained closed on Monday after an appeal made by the senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sudhir Kumar Singh.
The SSP said “Post anti-Agnipath protests, an appeal was made to coaching centres, mostly in New Agra, to remain closed for a couple of days. The centres respected the appeal and have closed down.”
The Centre had last Tuesday unveiled the Agnipath scheme to recruit youngsters aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 years in the army, navy and air force, largely on a four-year contractual basis. It later relaxed the upper age limit for this year’s recruitment to 23.
