Telangana Minister terms Anti-Agnipath protests 'eye-opener'

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 17 : Taking to social media Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao on Friday called the violent protests against Agnipath scheme an "eye opener" and an indicator of "unemployment crisis" across the country.
"The violent protests against #AgniveerScheme is an eye-opener and acute indicator of the magnitude of the unemployment crisis in the country," he tweeted.
"Pehle Desh ke Kisan Ke Saath khilvaadd' Aur Ab Desh ke Jawan Ke Saath khilvaadd' (First they messed with the country's farmer, and now with the soldier). From One Rank - One Pension to proposed No Rank - No Pension!" the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) minister added in the tweet.
KTR's remarks came after the Agnipath agitators vandalised the Secunderabad railway station premises in Hyderabad and set ablaze a train during a protest against the Agnipath scheme. The protestors also vandalised the windows of a train and torched a two-wheeler on tracks and a few bags on the platform.
Notably, Agnipath Scheme was launched by the government, on June 14, in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash by Opposition, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers. Granting a one-time waiver, the Centre on June 16, 2022, announced that the Agniveer upper age limit for recruitments via Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21 years.
The scheme is called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years.
However, the scheme did not go down well with the youth waiting for the resumption of the military recruitment for the last two years and political parties too extended support to the protesters demanding immediate withdrawal of the scheme.
Expressing agitation against the scheme, the youth have come to the streets and staged protests against Agnipath which eventually turned violent in Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand, Telangana and Haryana.
All India Students' Association staged a protest against the Agnipath scheme in Delhi following which the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) shut some gates of ITO station, Dhansa Bus Stand Metro station and Jama Masjid Metro station for some time. Jama Masjid metro station was also closed for a brief period of time owing to the protests.
The Gurugram authorities on Friday imposed Section 144 in the district barring the gathering of more than four persons as a preemptive measure. "..it has been made to appear to me that crowd may assemble around the railway stations, bus stand, markets, National Highways, power grid and other places of Gurugram which may
create obstruction, disturbance or interference of law and order," an order issued by district magistrate Nishant Kumar Yadav read.
After Thursday's protests in Haryana's Palwal, mobile internet and SMS services were suspended in Fardiabad's Ballabhgarh for 24 hours.
The protests against the Centre's scheme continued for the third consecutive day as protestors on Friday disrupted the movement of trains in various districts of Bihar.
In the Begusarai district, the agitated youth blocked the Rajbara Gumti road. The movement of trains was affected as agitating protestors chose to voice their concerns by sitting on the railway tracks. Roads were also blocked at many places. During the protest, a tire was burnt on the railway track. Students created a huge ruckus at Sahebpurkamal railway station in the district as well as arson and stone-pelting.
Lakhisarai district of Bihar also witnessed a similar furore. A huge group of protestors jointly marched in the district against the scheme by the Central government. During the protest, slogans were also raised against the Central government.
Menwhile, a similar protest against the scheme was witnessed in Uttar Pradesh's Balia. A huge crowd gathered at Ballia Railway Station in protest against the Agnipath scheme.
On Wednesday also, aspirants staged protests at Muzaffarpur, Begusarai and Buxar districts over the scheme, disrupting road and rail traffic movement.