Youth awaiting Army tests protest in Vellore

VELLORE: More than 200 youth who had completed their physical tests to join the Army and are waiting to appear for the written exams staged a demonstration in front of the Vellore Collector’s office denouncing the Central government’s recent Agnipath scheme, on Thursday.

Waving the tricolour the youth, who were from integrated Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts demanded that selection to the armed forces should be based on the existing format and not through this short-term Angipath format.

The new scheme would create problems as most of those who join the Army for four years under the scheme would be ousted after completion of their tenures thereby defeating the very purpose for which the scheme was created.

Though the youth originally planned to stage the demonstration at the busy green circle junction, they were cajoled into moving toward the Collector’s office where despite police officers’ request, they refused to meet top officials.