Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday, boiled as those aspiring to join the Indian army staged stiff protests across the state against the Union government’s short-term recruitment scheme for the armed forces brought with the aim to slash the ballooning salary and pension bills of army men, giving the UP Police a hard time on the law and order front.
A huge number of students blocked the GT Road in Bulandshahr and raised the slogan ‘Arthi do ya vardi do’ (give us uniform or death) and demanded withdrawal of the scheme which allows short-term recruitment in the armed forces.
The police and district officials had a hard time persuading the protesters to call off the blockade. The protesters submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate.
In Gonda, students carrying placards and shouting slogans against the Agnipath army recruitment scheme staged a massive protest.
In Aligarh, the police detained three youths who were part of a group staging a protest against the Agnipath scheme and took to violence. The protesters ignored the presence of Provincial Armed Constabulary jawans and blocked the highway causing a massive jam. There were reports that some of the protesters burnt a tyre and later ransacked a bus. A heavy police force was rushed to the scene but the protesters took to their heels before the cops reached the spot.
In Bareilly, the youths staged protests and raised slogans against the scheme. They said short term service in the armed forces would be of no use to the nation as well as the youths.
In Agra, the police used force when some youths staging a protest against the recruitment scheme started ransacking public property. In Agra, Firozabad and Mathura the protests ended by afternoon while in Unnao and Fatehpur districts, the protest ended before afternoon.
In Unnao city and its Shuklaganj town, the protesters raised slogans against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned the logic behind the new scheme for recruitment in the army. They expressed concern over the four-year period for which the aspirants were to be recruited. The police had to struggle hard to disperse the mob.
In Ballia, the protest by an irate mob affected the movement of some trains, including Swatantrata Senani Express going from Jai Nagar to New Delhi, at Varanasi-Chhapra railway section.
On the other hand, there were reports that Barauni-Gondia Express and Lichchavi Express were held for some hours in view of the protest at Chhapra and Bhatni railway stations.
In Deoria, the protesters blocked the Deoria-Kasya road in protest against the short term recruitment in the army. The protest spread to Subhash Chowk area, Tarkulwa locality and Garhrampur area of Deoria.
In Gorakhpur, the protesters took out a procession, demanding that the government withdraw the ‘Tour of Duty’ (ToD).