Hundreds of job aspirants took to streets, pouring their anger on public and private property. Trains were set afire as protests took an ugly turn.
The Central government's Agnipath recruitment scheme is drawing countrywide agitation as job aspirants feel it does little to cater to their needs. Fierce protests are taking place across seven states, with the flames of protests now reaching till Telangana which started in Bihar. For the third day in a row, there is a fierce demonstration and since morning the miscreants have set fire to five trains.
Hundreds of young job aspirants for the armed forces took to streets, pouring their anger on public and private property. Trains were set afire, public and police vehicles attacked and personnel injured as protests took an ugly turn.
Read | DNA Explainer: Fears around Agnipath scheme, what we know so far
Telangana protests
The demonstrations in Secunderabad, Telangana soon turned into a violent agitation. Here the protesters set the train on fire and also threw stones at the station against the Agnipath scheme. One person was killed and three others injured in the police firing, reported news agency IANS.
Police opened fire after the protesters went on a rampage at the station setting afire two trains and vandalising the station. The injured were admitted to Gandhi Hospital. The protesters were seen pelting stones on police. The Telangana police retaliated with firing rubber bullets and teargas shells.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and city police were trying to bring the situation under control. Following the large-scale violence, an alert was sounded at all railway stations in Telangana. Security was tightened at Nampally, Kacheguda and other railway stations in Hyderabad.
Bihar violent protest
Earlier, miscreants set fire to the Jammu Tawi-Guwahati Express train in Samastipur, Bihar. Two bogies of the train got burnt. This is the incident of Mohiuddinnagar station of Hajipur-Barauni railway section. On the other hand, miscreants also set fire to the Bihar Sampark Kranti Express train going from Darbhanga to New Delhi.
Four bogies of the train were gutted. The miscreants near Bhola Talkies Railway Gumti of Samastipur-Muzaffarpur rail section ransacked and looted the train.
A school bus, with children on board, got stuck in the road blockade by agitators in Darbhanga. The bus later managed to get out of the blockade with Police intervention. The agitators were protesting against the Agnipath Recruitment Scheme.
In Danapur also miscreants have set fire to the station. Here the passengers had to run to safety as the police was nowhere to be seen inside the station. In Bihar's NH 727 Supriya Road, a frenzied mob vandalised vehicles, while the same mob pelted stones at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi.
Miscreants set fire to a passenger train parked at Kulharia station in Ara. Train operation has been disrupted due to arson on Patna-Deendayal Upadhyay main line. In Ballia, youth vandalised and pelted stones in protest against the Agnipath scheme.
Demolition in UP's Ballia
Crowd gathered at Ballia Railway Station in protest against the Agnipath scheme. Forces have been deployed at the Railway station since morning. A few hooligans reached there but they were stopped from damaging much while they attempted stone-pelting. Action is being taken against the miscreants, Ballia DM Saumya Agarwal said.
A government bus was pelted by protesters in Agra, while youths blocked roads in Gorakhpur, Aligarh and Mathura against the plan, and in Ballia, the Freedom Fighter Express had to be stopped. At the same time, in Firozabad and Bulandshahr, youths raised slogans on the road.
Protesters protesting against the Agnipath scheme at Yamuna Expressway interchange in Aligarh Tappal area surrounded and thrashed PAC personnel. Also broke the stone plaque of Aligarh BJP MP Satish Gautam.
Haryana demonstration
In Haryana's Palwal too, the demonstration against the Agnipath scheme turned violent on Thursday. During this, stones were pelted and vehicles were torched. Police used force to control the situation and the administration has suspended internet service. The police have detained more than 20 people. Protests were also held in Gurugram, Rewari, Charkhi Dadri, Hisar and Rohtak, officials said.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC has been issued to restrict the gathering of more than 4 persons in Gurugram. Strict action will be taken against violators, said Gurugram DM.
Indore protests
The agitation against the Agnipath recruitment scheme of the Central Government has also reached Indore. Around 300 protesting students created a ruckus at Laxmibai Nagar railway station in the city. During this, they also stopped a train and damaged it too. A large number of forces from several police stations have been sent to the spot.
Students protest at Delhi's ITO
Several students along with the members of All India Students' Association (AISA), Chatr-Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) and Aam Aadmi Party's student wing on Friday staged a protest over the Central government's Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces and demanded its rollback.
Holding placards, the students raised slogans against the government and sat on the road in between the old Delhi Police headquarters and the Gate No 5 of the ITO Delhi Metro Station. All gates of Delhi Gate, Jama Masjid and ITO Metro station have been closed as a precautionary measure in view of the deteriorating atmosphere in Delhi.
Bengal joins protests
Train services in the East Central Railway region were badly hit due to the ongoing agitation against the Agnipath scheme. On Thursday evening, there was protests at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas. Today again protests over Agnipath scheme erupted in West Bengal. Protesting youth blocked railway tracks at Thakurnagar Railway Station in North 24 Parganas district.
The protests started at about 7.45 am and continued till 9.30 am.The youths carrying the national flag demanded withdrawal of recruitment under Agnipath scheme. Train services under the Sealdah section of Railway was disrupted due to the protests.
After the railway blockade, the youths gathered near the residence of Union Minister of State for Shipping, Ports and Waterways and Bongaon BJP MP Santanu Thakur. Some youths also protested on Friday morning at Howrah Bridge for a few minutes disrupting traffic on bridge connecting twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata.
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