IANS-CVoter National Mood Tracker: Agnipath protests; People divided if agitations have slowed down

New Delhi: The government has issued notification for recruitment in the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy under the much debated and opposed Agnipath scheme.

The country witnessed violent protests against the military recruitment scheme since it was announced on June 14. TV screens and newspapers were flooded with images of burning trains, stone pelting and smashed vehicles, damaged by violent protesters.

At several places police had to resort to firing and tear gas to disperse the violent protesters. As violent protests spread to several states in mid-June, the ruling NDA-BJP dispensation and the opposition hurled accusations at each other.

While the opposition accused the Central government of offering a job scheme to the youngsters without any financial and social security.

The BJP attacked the opposition for politicising the issue and instigating the youth against the scheme.

However, undeterred by the protests and accusations made by the opposition, the government has decided to go ahead to implement the Agnipath scheme and start recruitment. As the process for the recruitment under the scheme has begun the protests against the scheme seems to have almost disappeared.

CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a nationwide survey for IANS to know people’s views about the protests.

During the survey, people were divided in their opinion when asked if the protests have really slowed down or the media has stopped showing them.

According to the survey data, while 53 per cent respondents said that protests against the military recruitment have ebbed, 47 per cent respondents opined that the protests are still going on, however, the media has stopped showing them.

Interestingly, while the majority of NDA voters, 65 per cent, said that agitations have subsided, views of opposition supporters were divided on the issue.

As per survey data, while 55 per cent of opposition voters believe that the media has stopped showing the demonstrations, 45 per cent asserted they have dwindled.

During the survey, views of both urban and rural voters were also divided on the issue.

According to the survey data, while 56 per cent of urban voters said that agitations have gone down, 44 per cent of them emphasised that protests were still continuing but the media is not reporting them.

Similarly, while 52 per cent of rural respondents opined that protests have decreased, 48 per cent did not agree to this sentiment and believe that in fact the media has stopped showing them.