CPI (Maoist) urges tribal people in Gadchiroli to protest against ‘Agnipath’

The CPI (Maoist) put up posters and banners in different areas of the tribal district of Gadchiroli and released an online appeal to condemn and intensify the agitation

Protests against the central government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme got fresh teeth after proscribed organisation, the Communist Party of India (Maoists), issued an appeal to intensify the ongoing stir against the defence recruitment scheme.

People protest against the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme for the armed forces on Monday. (ANI Photo)

The CPI (Maoist) put up posters and banners in different areas of the tribal district of Gadchiroli and released an online appeal to everyone, especially the oppressed classes, to condemn and intensify the agitation against the Narendra Modi-led central government over the scheme.

Gadchiroli superintendent of police Ankit Goyal confirmed reports of the CPI (Maoist) issuing such appeals to the tribals in the district.

In an appeal to tribes, the spokesperson of the organisation, Abhay, alleged that the government was using forces to suppress the agitations against the newly-launched scheme in several states, particularly in the north of India.

Condemning the move, the Maoist spokesman dubbed the Agnipath scheme as a “fascist instrument” to suppress the people in the name of employment generation. The organisation claimed the recruitment scheme is a strategy of international funding organisations to reduce government expenditure.

“The district police and paramilitary forces have been alerted and we are keeping a strict watch on all the developments,” Goyal said.