The activists and leaders of youth and students’ wings of Aam Aadmi Party, on Sunday, staged demonstrations across Uttar Pradesh against the Agnipath scheme for short term recruitment in the Indian army.
In Lucknow, a large number of AAP youth and students’ wings activists were detained after they tried to move towards Hazratganj. The AAP youth and student activists and leaders were also detained in Barabanki, Ballia, Pratapgarh, Ambedkar Nagar and Sultanpur districts during the protest.
In Lucknow, the protest was led by AAP youth wing state president Pankaj Awana and students’ wing state president Vanshraj Dubey. The activists begged alms as a mark of protest against the Agnipath scheme and collected Rs 420 to send it to the Union government, as it allegedly “laments that there is a lack of funds for the army”.
Addressing the party activists before their detention in Lucknow, Awana said AAP would not tolerate “treachery with the Indian army” while Dubey asked why the Indian army’s strength was half that of China.
Awana said the AAP demonstration was peaceful but still the police detained them. He said the protest against the Agnipath scheme would continue from the road to government offices.
Dubey said India faced a direct threat from China and Pakistan. “The Agnipath scheme will not strengthen our army. There is a need for recruitment of youths in the army but the government laments the shortage of funds to meet the expenses on salary and other issues of the army. It is shameful,”
AAP former state president Sabhajeet Singh said the state government used police force to quell the voice of dissent.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party government uses police force to suppress those protesting against its policies. The police arrested our workers and leaders in different districts of UP during the protest even though they were staging the demonstration peacefully,” he said.
Singh said AAP would continue the protest until the Union government took back the Agnipath scheme.