SKM to hold day-long protest against Agnipath on June 24

New Delhi, June 20 The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday announced it would join the nationwide agitation against Agnipath defence recruitment scheme by observing a peaceful protest on June 24.

The coordination committee of the SKM - a consortium of 40-odd farmers' organizations from across India that was formed two years ago to protest the now-repealed three farm laws - held a meeting earlier in the day where it was decided that peaceful protests would be held right up to district and tehsil level all over the country on June 24.

While tweeting about what he termed as a consensus decision, one of the SKM's leaders, Yogendra Yadav said the SKM appealed to the youth, citizens, organisations and parties to join the protest on June 24.

Endorsing the decision to protest on June 24, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, an important face in the anti-farm laws agitation that went on for over a year, tweeted that instead of the earlier date of June 30 that BKU had chosen, now all will join the protest together on June 24.

The Agnipath scheme, termed as a historic and transformative measure by the government, has met unprecedented levels of agitations and protests in several states across India.

The protestors in several states have been targeting the trains and have torched several of them in the past few days.