Agnipath scheme: Youths hurl stones at police in Gohana

Tribune News Service

Panipat, June 18

Enraged over the Agnipath scheme, hundreds of youths on Saturday protested in Gohana and blocked traffic on Panipat-Rohtak highway near Gohana bypass.

As the police tried to pacify the protesters to open the highway, they started pelting stones on the police. Some police personnel got injured and police vehicles got damaged.

After that, police force from Sonepat led by ASP Nikita Khattar reached there and opened the highway after a light cane-charge at the protesters. The highway was blocked for over one-and-a-half hours during the protest.

A large number of youths gathered at MC park on Jind road and blocked the traffic on Panipat-Rohtak highway and staged a dharna on the road.

The Gohana City police have booked 200 youths allegedly for blocking traffic and resorting to stone pelting.

In Kharkhoda, youth protested against the Agnipath scheme. A huge number of youths reached Pipli village and jammed traffic on Delhi road for around 15 minutes. SHO Kharkhoda, Inspector Jaspal Singh Dhillon, pacified the protesters. The youths also submitted a memorandum to Kharkhoda SDM.

In Panipat, scores of youths gathered near the bus stand and held a protest. Heavy police force was deployed. The protest ended peacefully near the mini secretariat. The protesting youths said they would go to Delhi on June 20 over their demands.

Due to the protest, a long traffic jam was witnessed on NH-44 in the city.

Meanwhile, in Rohtak, youths took out a funeral procession of the BJP government in protest against the Agnipath scheme today.

The protesters, led by AAP leader Naveen Jaihind, raised slogans against the Agnipath scheme and burnt the effigy of the government near the BJP state headquarters.

Terming the scheme as contractual recruitment for the Army, the youths demanded its immediate withdrawal.

Section 144 imposed in Hisar

Hisar: Deputy Commissioner Dr Priyanka Soni imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 to maintain law and order in the district on Saturday. The DC has also issued instructions to keep adequate police force deployed at sensitive places in the district, besides calling upon the youth not to indulge in violence against Agnipath scheme.

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