Police use lathi-charge to disperse anti-Agnipath protesters in Karnataka’s Dharwad

Police resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse anti-Agnipath protesters as they attempted to take out a protest march against the defence recruitment scheme here, officials said on Saturday.

According to police, the aspirants had gathered at Kala Bhavan here from various parts of the district and wanted to stage a protest.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner of the district received a memorandum from the protesters.

A section of protesters pelted stones on a bus nearby leaving it partially damaged and they were not allowed to head towards the Deputy Commissioner’s office, which prompted police to use lathi-charge to disperse all the protesters.

Some of the protesters have been taken into custody, while others have been dispersed, and the situation is currently under control, the police said.

There are also reports of protests in Gokak and other parts of the neighboring Belagavi district. Congress MLA from Khanapur constituency Anjali Nimbalkar too participated in one such protest.

Protests against the Agnipath scheme raged through several states across the country for the fourth day on Saturday.