The state government recently decided to remove nearly 25,000 Home Guards from duties.

Home guards of the police department in Uttar Pradesh today protested against the state government and sought their reinstatement for which they also performed a "havan" (ritual).

Members of the Uttar Pradesh Home Guard Unpaid Officials and Employee Association were part of the protest.

The state government recently decided to remove nearly 25,000 Home Guards from duties, which has invited widespread criticism from different quarters.

As many as 874 Home Guards from Shahjahanpur, who lost their jobs, also performed the "havan" and sought their reinstatement.

The district head of the Home Guard Association Ram Sevak said: "The government has terminated 16,500 duties under the Home Guard quota and 25,000 duties under the police quota, resulting in the total loss of 41,500 Home Guard jobs."

Another Home Guard Umesh Pandey said: "The government has made us unemployed during the festival season. We had pretty high hopes from this government but now we are really disappointed. We demand the government to reinstate us."

On October 16, hours after UP Police terminated the duties of 25,000 Home Guards, state Minister Chetan Chauhan, who has the Home Guard portfolio, had clarified that no official letter had been received from the Home Department in this regard and that no one will be removed from the job.

Mr Chauhan had said that due to the budget constraints, the days of duties will be less but the service of Home Guards won't be terminated.

"We have not received any official letter from the Home Department. I assure no one will be removed from his job. No formal decision has been taken. Due to the budget constraint, the days of duty will be reduced to 20-22 from 30 days," Mr Chauhan had said.