Reservation promise fails to douse Agnipath violence as protests rage on across India

News Network
June 18, 2022

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New Delhi, June 18: As anti-Agnipath agitations continued for the fourth successive day with more states joining in to protest the newly-announced scheme, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced a 10 per cent reservation for 'Agniveers' in recruitment in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles.

Rajnath Singh held a meeting with the top brass of the Army, Navy and the Air Force on the overall situation. The focus of the meeting was to ensure a quick rollout of the 'Agnipath' scheme and ways to pacify agitators.

Singh also approved the proposal to reserve 10 per cent of the job vacancies in the defence ministry for 'Agniveers' who meet requisite eligibility criteria. He further appealed to young people to apply under the new scheme.

The MHA also decided to give three years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to 'Agniveers' for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. For the first batch of 'Agniveers', the age relaxation will be for five years beyond the prescribed upper age limit.

As per the Agnipath scheme, jawans will be recruited on a contractual basis for four years, following which 75 per cent of them will have to take compulsory retirement sans pension while the remainder will be allowed to continue service. The selection will be made based on their performance.

Youths across the country took to the streets to protest against the new short-term recruitment scheme for entry in the armed forces.

In Uttar Pradesh, a total of 260 people were arrested and six FIRs across four districts were lodged in in connection with violent protests over the scheme.

The agitation in the East Central Railway jurisdiction resulted in eight more trains including six originating from different cities of West Bengal and two originating from cities in Bihar to be cancelled.

In Bihar's Jehanabad, agitators protesting over the Agnipath scheme set fire to a bus, truck and two other vehicles. The violent mob also pelted stones on a police party which led to a sub-inspector rank officer getting injured.

Telangana's Secunderabad Railway Station, which witnessed arson and violence resulting in the death of a protester yesterday, witnessed tight security while train services resumed. The funeral procession of the youth killed in Friday's police firing at Secunderabad railway station was under way in the Warangal district amid shutdown and protest. Hundreds of people participated in the procession which began from MGM Hospital in Warangal to Narsampet.

In Tamil Nadu, youth organised a protest against the scheme near the War Memorial in Chennai. They were later removed from the spot and detained by Police.

In Kerala, youth took out huge protest rallies in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode demanding to conduct the pending written examination for the army recruitment at the earliest.

In Karnataka's Dharwad, police had to resort to mild lathi-charge after hundreds of youth raising anti-BJP slogans organised a protest rally demanding to scrap the scheme and hold regular army recruitment. Protests raged in West Bengal, Delhi, and other states as well.

Speaking to the media about the issue, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said armed forces cannot be "contractual", it is a disciplined force.

Meanwhile, AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) MP Raghav Chadha wrote to Rajnath Singh, requesting him for "roll-back and re-deliberation" of the Scheme.

Weighing in on the matter, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said that just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to withdraw the farm laws, he will have to accept the demand of the youth and rollback the Agnipath recruitment scheme.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi appealed to protesting youth in the country to adopt non-violent means of protest. She dubbed the scheme as "directionless", and said it is unfortunate that government has 'ignored' the voices of the youth. Gandhi also pledged to stand with the youth and work towards the withdrawal of this scheme.

Congress also announced a protest to be held on the Agnipath scheme at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday. All CWC members and MPs are expected to join. 

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News Network
November 16,2024

Mangaluru: The Kavoor police in Mangaluru, Karnataka, have arrested three individuals from Kerala in connection with two separate cybercrime cases, including one involving extortion under the guise of a "digital arrest."

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal reported that one of the arrested individuals, Nisar, a resident of Ernakulam district, posed as a CBI officer. He allegedly threatened the complainant with arrest and extorted Rs 68 lakh. A case has been filed under sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act, and sections 308 (2) and 381 (4) of BNS.

In another case, the Kavoor police arrested two men, Sahil K P of Thiruvannur, Kozhikode, and Muhammad Nashath of Mappila Koyilandy, Kerala, in connection with a share trade fraud. The accused are alleged to have deceived the complainant by promising substantial profits from an investment in the stock market. Trusting the fraudsters, the complainant invested Rs 90 lakh, which was subsequently lost. A case has been registered under sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act, and sections 318 (4) and 3 (5) of BNS.

The accused were arrested in Koyilandi and presented before the court. The operation was carried out under the guidance of City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, led by Mangaluru North Sub-Division ACP Srikanth K, Kavoor Inspector Raghavendra Byndoor, Kavoor PSI Mallikarjuna Biradara, and staff members Ramanna Shetty, Bhuvaneshwari, Rajappa Kashibai, Praveen N, and Malatesh. 

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News Network
November 21,2024

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Hamas says the Israeli regime’s sole objective lies in “erasing” the entirety of the Palestinian population from across the Palestinian territories.

Khalil al-Hayya, a ranking official with the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance movement, made the remarks to the Palestinian al-Aqsa TV on Wednesday.

“The occupation targets everyone—it strikes hospitals, civil defense, women, children, and the elderly,” he said, adding that the regime sought to “empty Gaza of its residents, and displace the Palestinian people to fulfill its dreams of building a Zionist Jewish state across all of Palestine.”

The remarks came amid the regime’s October 2023-present war of genocide on the coastal sliver that has so far claimed the lives of nearly 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

“This unprecedented aggression in modern times evokes scenes from the dark ages of human history, having crossed all red lines and exceeded every expectation of brutality in the modern era,” the Palestinian official lamented.

He also regretted that the regime had added “systematic and dangerous starvation to its aggression, falsely claiming before the world that it allows 250 [aid] trucks into Gaza daily. In reality, the number of trucks is far fewer.”

Hayya, meanwhile, regretted that “scenes of children torn apart, women screaming over their children, and heart-wrenching destruction have failed to stir enough humanity to stop these crimes.”

He decried the United States for vetoing the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions that are aimed at bringing about a potential ceasefire in the war, saying this indicated Washington’s “partnership in the aggression” and a simultaneous siege that the Israeli regime has been enforcing on Gaza.

Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official asserted that, despite what the Israeli official is after, Hamas would not hand over the regime’s captives “without [the regime’s] stopping the war.”

He called Netanyahu “the main obstacle” in the way of cessation of the aggression, saying the Israeli premier “blocks any progress for political reasons,” and citing his preventing conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in July.

Hayya also warned that the regime sought to expand the war beyond Gaza, but asserted that its goals are “impossible and will never happen.”

“Today, the enemy exposes its true intentions of extermination and displacement, but it will fail,” he stressed.

“The Palestinian people are resilient and will not surrender, as they believe in their humanitarian and political cause. The enemy and its allies will not succeed in achieving their goals. This steadfast people will endure, and the occupation will not prevail against them.”

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News Network
November 11,2024

Udupi, Nov 11: A traveller reportedly lost ₹4.1 lakh after attempting to book a cab online in Udupi. 

At around 1:30 PM on November 7, the man from West Bengal searched for car rentals on Google and selected a website named "Shakti Car Rentals." Shortly after, he was contacted by someone claiming to be "Rohit Sharma," who directed him to pay a registration fee of ₹150 on the site.

After unsuccessful payment attempts via both his Canara Bank debit card and SBI credit card (without receiving an OTP), "Rohit Sharma" instructed him to pay the driver directly. But at 1:47 PM, he received messages showing deductions of ₹3.3 lakh from his SBI credit card and ₹80,056 from his Canara Bank debit card, totaling ₹4.1 lakh.

The complainant alleges fraud through a deceptive link disguised as a booking token fee. A case has been registered at Udupi Town Police Station.

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