Maoists egg on masses to intensify Agnipath protests

Nagpur: The Maoists have appealed to the masses, especially the oppressed classes, to condemn and intensify the stir against the central government’s army recruitment scheme Agnipath.
The Central Committee (CC), the apex body of the banned armed rebels of Communist Party of India (Maoist), has released a press communication condemning the Agnipath scheme to recruit youths in the army for four years.
The CC, in the press note issued by their spokesperson Abhay, has underlined the government is using forces to suppress the agitations against the newly launched scheme in 10 states. They have also claimed that one of the agitators from Warangal was also killed.
The Maoist think tank has labelled the Agnipath scheme as a ‘fascist instrument’ to suppress the people in the name of employment generation. They have claimed Agnipath is a strategy of the international funding organizations to reduce government expenditure.
DIG Naxal range Sandip Patil, also heading the state Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO), said it’s a known strategy of the Maoists to foment tensions, to trouble the state wherever they find an opportunity. “It is nothing new for the Maoists, trying to attract the agitated and disgruntled elements to carry on their own agenda,” said Patil.
The DIG further said the Maoists may try to use the same tactics during Agnipath which they had used as a strategy earlier during other protests to give the agitations a violent turn. “We are keeping a strict watch on all the developments. It’s a well-known fact that the Maoists would try to push their frontal organizations in the urban centres to instigate and aggravate the agitations,” said Patil.
The rebels, in their press communication, have also blamed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to launch the scheme in an ‘undemocratic’ and ‘unconstitutional’ manner without referring it to the opposition for their views too.