Agnipath Scheme Row: Internet Snapped in Palwal As Protest Intensifies in Parts of Haryana

Young armed forces aspirants blocked traffic at several places across the State, including Rewari, Charkhi Dadri and Rohtak.

Agnipath Scheme: Protests against the Central government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme, to recruit soldiers on a four-year contract basis, intensified in parts of Haryana on Thursday. To contain the spread of the violence to other districts of the state, the authorities snapped the internet services in Palwal. Handing over the memoranda to the district authorities expressing concerns over job security and pension under the new scheme, the young armed forces aspirants blocked traffic at several places across the State.

In a similar protest, aspirants blocked traffic near the bus stand in Charkhi Dadri district against the scheme.

Earlier today, Hansraj, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Headquarters, Rewari, said that several youth gathered near the bus stand in the city around 11 a.m. and staged a peaceful protest against the new scheme for recruitment in armed forces. “The protest lasted for almost 30 minutes. The demonstrators dispersed after handing over a memorandum to the district authorities,” said Hansraj according to a Hindu report.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the scheme and announced that the State government would give preference to the youth recruited under the scheme in government jobs.

In Gurugram’s Bilaspur and Sidhrawali, protesters laid a virtual seize on bus stands and roads and held a protest at Bilaspur Chowk, crippling traffic on the Gurugram-Jaipur highway.

Heavy police force was rushed to these spots to curb the protests against the new scheme to recruit jawans into the army, the navy, and the air force for a four-year period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.

“Due to a local protest, traffic is diverted at Bilaspur Chowk (NH-48). All commuters using this route are requested to take alternative routes,” Gurugram traffic police said in an advisory.

“Our traffic officials are on the job and ensuring that there is no major congestion. Diversions have been made as and where required,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ravinder Singh Tomar said.