GUWAHATI:
Despite police intervention, hundreds of activists of DYFI and SFI staged a protest against the Agnipath scheme of the Union government in Guwahati on June 20.
The protesters chanted slogans like “immediately roll back the contractual recruitment scheme in the army”, “Make arrangements for permanent recruitment in the army” and “the sovereignty of the country will not be compromised with the Agnipath scheme”
The protesters rallied from Chandmari flyover and were stopped at Silpukhuri.
After a long struggle, the protesters were detained and taken to Latashil police station.
Similar protests have been carried out in Goalpara, Barpeta, Sarbhag, Kalgachia, Kayakuchi, Nagaon and Tinsukia districts.
Surprisingly, the police went to the residences of SFI, DYFI and Assam Rajya Krishak Sabha leaders and activists in their search to arrest them.
30 protestors, including DYFI state president Rustam Ali, SFI state leader Harshajit Das, SFI district Leader Amlan Banik along were arrested by the Kolgachia police in Barpeta district.
DYFI state secretary Ritu Ranjan Das, president Rustam Ali, SFI state president Pratul Burman and SFI central committee member Sangita Das along with several other protestors were arrested.
“The police force brutally plunged on protestors of SFI, DYFI and Assam Rajya Krishak Sabha in Guwahati today who demanded immediate roll back of contractual recruitment in the army and permanent recruitment and cancellation of the Agnipath scheme,” a statement of state unit SFI said here.
The police also detained DYFI Kamrup (M) district secretary Bhaskar Kalita, SFI leaders Anuja Deka, Utpola Das and DYFI member Anowara Begum and took them to the Latasil police station,” the statement said.
“The police undemocratically plunged on the female protesters in the absence of any women police,” it said.
The three organizations strongly condemned the undemocratic, autocratic and unjust act of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sharma-led government’s police force and also demand immediate release of all the arrested leaders and members, it added.
The three organizations jointly called for a state-wide protest. However, the police launched an operation across the state to arrest the leaders of the three organizations on Sunday night. The police tried to curb a democratic movement through intimidation.