Amid the ongoing violence perpetrated by youths in Bihar and other adjoining states in protest against the central government’s recently launched Agnipath Recruitment Scheme, a video of protestors hurling abusive slurs at Prime Minister Narendra Modi has surfaced online.
In a video shared by Organiser Weekly on June 16, Thursday, these youths, who claim they want to serve and protect the nation by joining the Indian Defence forces, can be seen raising abusive slogans against the Prime Minister of India. Though it is unclear where the video was taken, there are tyres burning in the middle of the road where these enraged demonstrators have sat on a dharna, abusing PM Modi and demanding the scheme be scrapped.
In the video, one could hear these “students” raise the slogan of “Modi M***rc**d hai” repeatedly.
Watch: Protestors using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while protesting against the Agnipath Scheme.#Viral #AgnipathScheme #PMModi pic.twitter.com/3rcUS1WQ9I
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) June 16, 2022
Today (June 17), the protest against the government’s new military scheme entered its third day. OpIndia had explained how it is neither compulsory for the young men in the country to join the Agnipath scheme nor the regular recruitment into the military forces have been affected in any way. However, the protestors, either out of ignorance or motivated by some political forces, have been disrupting railway and road traffic, setting trains on fire and attacking public and police vehicles in various areas in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other connected states for the third consecutive day today.
According to reports, these so-called aspiring candidates for the defence forces set an empty train on fire and vandalised a few more trains in Bihar Friday. A video of youths shouting slogans and vandalising the Ballia-Varanasi Memu and Ballia-Shahganj trains has also gone viral.
In another video shared by NDTV, Bihar Sampark Kranti Express can be seen set on fire in Bihar’s Samastipur area.
#Agnipath | Bihar Sampark Kranti Express set on fire in Bihar’s Samastipur as protests over Centre’s #AgnipathScheme enters third consecutive day. pic.twitter.com/PHhXGrHyfo
— NDTV (@ndtv) June 17, 2022
The alleged army aspirants vandalised and blocked railway tracks at the Lakhminia railway station in Bihar.
#Agnipath | In protest against Centre’s #AgnipathScheme, army aspirants vandalise and block railway tracks at the Lakhminia railway station in Bihar. pic.twitter.com/oGIQJ2aZwo
— NDTV (@ndtv) June 17, 2022
The agitators Friday also attacked the house of Bihar Dy CM Renu Devi, in Bettiah. “Our residence in Bettiah was attacked. We suffered a lot of damage. She (Renu Devi) is in Patna”, said Renu Devi’s son.
#WATCH | Bihar: The residence of Deputy CM Renu Devi, in Bettiah, attacked by agitators during their protest against #AgnipathScheme
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2022
Her son tells ANI, “Our residence in Bettiah was attacked. We suffered a lot of damage. She (Renu Devi) is in Patna.” pic.twitter.com/Ow5vhQI5NQ
Yesterday, protestors blocked the movement of trains on Patna-Gaya and Patna-Buxar routes by lying down on the railway tracks in Jehanabad and Buxar districts. The agitators could also be seen throwing stones at the Police, which were controlled by the action of lathi-charge. In an incident, the mob ran so violently that it set a parked train on fire in Bihar’s Chhapra.
In the videos that have emerged, it could be seen that tyres were burnt to create unrest in the city.
Similar agitations have erupted in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh and Telangana where angry youths have been blocking railway tracks, throwing burning tyres on roads and performing push-ups and other drills on the streets to oppose the new recruitment policy.
General VK Singh strongly condemns the violence by youths against the Agnipath scheme
Yesterday, reacting to the violence by so-called aspiring candidates for the defence forces, Union Minister and former Indian Army chief Gen. V K Singh (R) stated that such behaviour showcased by the youths is not fit for the army.
In an interview with India Today Editor Rahul Kanwal, Singh commented, “I don’t think anybody who is shouting like this, is even fit for the Army. If I was at the helm of affairs, I won’t take any one of them,” categorically calling out the way so-called army aspirants in Bihar protested. The Minister of State for Civil Aviation said that if anybody wants to come to the Army and has the feeling for the Army, ‘they would not be protesting’.
He hinted at a possible political conspiracy behind the violent demonstrations. Singh underlined that the scheme is being misrepresented while there is no cause for the protests at a time when it is not even gone on the floors.
The Agnipath Scheme
On June 14, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with the chiefs of three armed forces, launched the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youth in the armed forces. Those who get enrolled in the armed forces under this scheme would be called Agniveers. The enrollment under the scheme will be open for both men and women for a four-year period, including the training.
Being an internship-kind of initiative, the Agnipath scheme would allow the patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the armed forces for a short period of four-year. Moreover, 25% of the candidates will be recruited as regular cadres after the end of four years after an exam.
It provides a regular salary for the duration of 4 years and a lumpsum amount of Rs 11.71 lakhs as a Seva Nidhi package that has a portion saved from the salaries, plus an equal amount contributed by the government for the entire period. The salary offered in the scheme is at par with most entry-level jobs for graduates. The scheme only acts as an additional option for those willing to join the Armed Forces and in no way does it hamper the traditional mainstream recruitment process.
