Amid protests against the Centre's newly introduced ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme for armed forces, students organisations led by the All India Students' Association have called a 24-hour Bihar bandh today. The main opposition in the state, RJD, has backed the call for a state-wide bandh, reported news agency PTI.
While extending support to the Bihar bandh announced by students organisations, the president of Bihar RJD unit, Jagadanand Singh, said the short-term recruitment scheme is not in the interest 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 interest of country’s youth," said Singh at the party office in Patna.
Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's party the Hindustan Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) which is an ally of the BJP has also said to support the bandh call.
The agitation has garnered support from the left parties too.
The students have been demanding an immediate rollback of the scheme – under which hiring has been proposed for a four-year-period in the armed forces followed by compulsory retirement for at least 75 per cent of the personnel without any pension
Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan has said to meet Governor Phagu Chouhan on Saturday along with this party workers and submit a memorandum, seeking the withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme.
While addressing a press conference in Bihar's capital Patna on Friday Paswan said, "The Agnipath scheme will increase unemployment in the country. It will spread dissatisfaction among youths."
The LJP president had also written to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday raising concerns about the scheme.
(With PTI inputs)