BackAgnipath scheme row: Lalu Yadava's RJD calls for Bihar Bandh today
Agnipath protest: The Bihar Congress, an old but now estranged ally of the RJD, also issued a statement announcing its support for the bandh
PremiumAs the agitation against the Agnipath has left Bihar in flames, the students' organisations in Bihar have found support in Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party and have called a 24-hour state-wide band on Saturday, June 18.
The student organisations, led by the All India Students' Association (AISA) have sought immediate rollback of the Agnipath scheme. Announcing the RJD's support for the bandh call, the president of its Bihar unit, Jagadanand Singh, said the short-term recruitment scheme is detrimental to the interests of the nation's youth.
"We support those who are agitating on streets in protest against 'Agnipath' recruitment. The new short-term recruitment scheme in the armed forces is not in the interest of the country's youth," he said at the party office here, in the presence of other Left leaders.
The Bihar Congress, an old but now estranged ally of the RJD, also issued a statement announcing its support for the bandh.
“The Modi government had promised employment. Agnipath is less about employment and more about retirement at a young age…… sepoy ranks of the armed forces draw their manpower from almost every village in the country. The magnitude of the protest will surpass all movements that have taken place since Modi came to power", warned Sandeep Saurav, an MLA of the CPI(ML) who is also the national general secretary of the party's student wing AISA.
The protest against the Agnipath scheme, a radical recruitment plan for the armed forces has turned wild as several trains have been burnt, public properties have been vandalised, as well as, houses of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi and Bihar BJP president and West Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal have been attacked by the protestors.
The East Central Railway zone, which is headquartered at Hajipur, said the number of railway coaches set afire by the mobs was “more than 60", in addition to “10 engines".
The burnt coaches included practically the entire rake of Bhagalpur-bound Vikramshila Express coming from Anand Vihar Terminus which was attacked at Lakhisarai station
Cash worth ₹3 lakh was looted from a ticket counter at Bihiya railway station in Bihar's Arrah on Friday.
According to ADG, Law and Order, Sanjay Singh, the number of arrests made in connection with the protests against the new scheme of recruitment in the armed forces has now reached 320 on Friday, up from 125 on the previous day.
The state has also suspended internet services in nearly a third of the state.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), grimly asked the Narendra Modi government to assuage those who feel aggrieved by the new system of four-year employment followed by discharge from service without pensions.
An appeal to this effect was made by JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan in a video statement.
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