Thousands of youth across the country hit the streets demanding a rollback of “contractualisation” of jobs in the Indian Army, and Opposition parties, trade unions, farmers’ associations, youth organisations, and students’ outfits of various political affiliations joined in chorus to support the protests against Agnipath, the scheme to recruit soldiers on a four-year contract basis. These organisations started consulting each other on Thursday for forming a national platform against Agnipath. Opposition parties urged the Centre to withdraw the scheme considering national interest. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) own trade union, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), though termed the protests politically motivated, and distanced itself from Agnipath.
Youth protested against the scheme in States like Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Rajasthan, where the bulk of the army recruitment takes place. In Delhi, too, youth organisations held protests in solidarity with their counterparts in other States.
The Indian Railways said 34 trains had been cancelled and 72 trains are running late due to the protests and attacks against trains.
