Farmer's body announces nationwide protest against 'Agnipath'

NEW DELHI: Farmers' collective Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) will hold a nationwide protest against the Centre's Agnipath military recruitment scheme on June 24, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said on Monday.

The decision for the protest was taken during a meeting of the coordination committee of SKM in Karnal, he said and urged the support of youths, the civil society and political parties for the demonstrations on Friday.

"Samyukta Kisan Morcha protests against Agnipath scheme to be held at district and tehsil headquarters across the country on June 24 by decision of SKM Coordination Committee in Karnal.

Appeal to mobilise youth, citizen organizations and parties. Now BKU's (Bharatiya Kisan Union's) planned protest for June 30 will also take place on June 24," Mr Tikait, the national spokesperson of BKU, tweeted in Hindi.

Mr Tikait's BKU, which was part of the SKM-led 2020-21 protests against the now-withdrawn farm laws in Delhi, had earlier called for a protest on June 30 against the Agnipath scheme.