‘Sad govt ignored your voice but.’: Sonia Gandhi calls for peaceful protest on Agnipath

The Congress president assured those protesting against the new scheme that her party will stand by them. “I am sad the government ignored your voice and announced a new armed forces recruitment scheme which is completely directionless. Many former army personnel have also questioned the scheme along with you,” Sonia Gandhi, in hospital recovering from Covid-19, said.

“I appeal to all of you to protest peacefully in a non-violent manner. Indian National Congress is with you,” she wrote as protests against ‘Agnipath’ spread to nearly a dozen states so far.

On Saturday, a students association called for a 24-hour bandh in Bihar – seen as the epicentre of anti-‘Agnipath’ protests that, over the past 72 hours, have seen dozens of trains and railway coaches burnt or vandalised, highways and government property (including public buses, police stations and vehicles) damaged, and roads and train tracks blocked.

At least one death has been reported in the protests – a young man from Secunderabad in Telangana died during protests at the railway station there.

The Congress – for whom Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been strident in condeming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the central government – has announced a ‘satyagrah’ at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in support of students protesting against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme.

On Friday the GOP walked out of the legislative assembly in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand after speaker Ritu Khanduri refused to allow a debate over police lathi-charging youngsters in Nainital district.

Meanwhile, defence minister Rajnath Singh – who announced the scheme this week – met three defence service chiefs in Delhi today. This was after the union home ministry said it would reserve 10% of jobs in the Central Armed Police Force and the Assam Rifles for ‘Agniveers’ – the name given to ‘Agnipath’ scheme recruits who will have to retire after four years of service.