Patna: A day after the Centre launched the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, massive protests erupted in several districts of Bihar on Wednesday.
A protest was organised in Muzaffarpur city with thousands of job aspirants who have passed the physical examination in the past, opposing the Centre’s move.
“We have passed the physical examination and are waiting for the written examination. Now, the Centre has said that recruitment will take place only for four years. The Centre is playing with the future of the youths. What will we do after four years,” said an agitating job aspirant Rajnish Kumar from Muzaffarpur.
The agitating students claimed that they have prepared for the last five years to clear the physical examination and now the Centre is offering jobs only for four years.
The students burnt the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Due to the massive protest, the district police resorted to a baton charge to disperse them from Chakkar Chowk in Bhagwanpur and Mandi Chowk.
In Buxar, the agitating students blocked the Patna-New Delhi main railway track for more than two hours.
Following the protests, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said: “After 4 years on a contract basis in the defence forces, what will they do? Would they do the job of guards of industrial units of BJP’s business friends?”
Defence experts opine that such a move could encourage spying in defence establishments.
“The youth selected for the job in the Indian Army for 4 years would know everything about the defence establishments where they would be deployed. What would they do after four years? In the early age, if the youth become unemployed, they may compromise the secrets of defence establishments as they can be targeted very easily. Honey traps are an easy option for enemy countries to extract information from them,” the experts believe.
