Anti-Agnipath protest: Army aspirants block traffic in Cuttack, lathicharged

CUTTACK: Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse defence job aspirants staging protest against the Centre's proposed Agnipath scheme in Cuttack on Friday.

Disappointed over the scheme to induct youngsters into the armed forces for a four-year period, hundreds of defence job aspirants staged protests in front of Army Recruitment Office at Cantonment Road here.

More than 200 youths sat on a dharna raising slogans against the Central government and demanded that the scheme be withdrawn.

The number of protesters started increasing from time to time with more youth expressing their solidarity and joining the protest.

While they started to trespass into the Army recruitment office by climbing its gate, police interfered and dispersed the protesters, who then staged a road blockade on Mahanadi ring road near Gadagadia Mahadev temple.

Police, however, resorted to lathi charge to disperse youths who had blocked the traffic demanding withdrawal of the scheme.

DCP Pinak Mishra said, around 800 to 900 youths gathered and staged protest blockading the road. Some of them were unruly who went on rampage compelling police to resort mild lathi charge to disperse them.

“Police have dispersed the youths and the situation is normal now,” added Mishra.