Ahead of PM Modi's visit to Kangra, Army aspirants stage protest against new 'Agnipath' scheme

Dharamsala, June 16

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kangra, a large numbers of Army aspirants on Thursday staged a protest at the Gaggal airport against the “Agnipath” scheme of the Union Government.

The ‘Agnipath’ scheme proposes recruitment of jawans on a contractual basis for a four-year period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.

At Gaggal, the police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the protesting youths. Congress workers, including district youth president Pankaj Panku, joined the protesters. Panku alleged that the police used brutal force against the Army aspirants who were protesting peacefully.

Protesting youths alleged that the government has done away with the regular recruitment in the Army.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders termed the protest Congress sponsored. However, sources here said that most of the portesters were Army aspirants from Kangra.

In Kangra district, joining the armed forces is a tradition in many families and several generations have donned the uniform. The number of serving and ex-servicemen is about 1 lakh in Kangra district.