Agnipath protests: Student bodies call for Bihar bandh on June 18

PATNA: Different students and youth organisations, who are protesting the Narendra Modi government’s newly introduced 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme for armed forces, have called for a 24-hour state-wide bandh in Bihar on June 18.
The bandh call has been given mainly by the All India Students Association, the Revolutionary Youth Association, the Sena Bharti Jawan Morcha and the Rojgar Sangharsh Sanyukta Morcha. The first two organisations are affiliates of the CPI-ML (Liberation).
Major opposition parties, including RJD, CPI-ML, CPI and CPM on Friday announced their support for the Bihar bandh call on June 18 (Saturday). Even the NDA ally- HAMS has extended its support to the bandh call.
Announcing his party’s support for the bandh call, State RJD president and former MP Jagadanand Singh on Friday said the short-term recruitment scheme is detrimental to the interests of the nation's youth.
“The RJD supports all those youth who are agitating on streets in protest against ‘Agnipath' recruitment scheme. The new short-term recruitment scheme in the armed forces is not in the interest of the country's youth,” Singh said at the RJD office on the Veerchand Patel Path here, in the presence of many prominent leaders of three leading Left parties.
Supporting the bandh call, former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday said, “His party- HAM-S is with the youths of the country on the issue of ‘Agnipath’ scheme. The HAM-S extends “in principle” support to the call for Bihar bandh on June 18 in the interests of the youths and the country.”