Train coaches set on fire, stations vandalised in Bihar, UP Several areas of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and many other states have witnessed protests over the newly announced military recruitment policy.
Protests continued even on the 3rd day in opposition to the new military scheme whilst the Central authorities on Thursday extended the upper age limit for the Agnipath recruitment scheme from 21 years to 23 years. Trains had been set afire, and public and police automobiles had been attacked in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for the 3rd consecutive day today.
Here are the top developments to date in the story:
Congress chief leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today attacked the government over the Agnipath scheme and demanded its instant withdrawal. In a tweet in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said “not even 24 hours had passed” and that the BJP government needed to change the guidelines of the new army recruitment scheme.
This means the scheme is being imposed on the young people in haste, the Congress general secretary said. “Narendra Modi Ji, withdraw this scheme immediately. Give appointments and put out the end result of the stalled recruitment in the Air Force,” Priyanka Gandhi said. “Conduct army recruitment (with age relaxation) as before,” she demanded.
Raising slogans ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Agnipath Vapas Lo’, youths protesting in opposition to the Agneepath recruitment scheme set an empty train on fire and vandalised many other trains here, prompting the police to lathi charge them. A video of the youths shouting the slogans and vandalising the Ballia-Varanasi Memu and Ballia-Shahganj trains has gone viral.
In the Begusarai district, the agitated young protestors blocked the Rajbara Gumti road. The movement of trains was affected as agitating protestors chose to voice their issues by sitting at the railway tracks. Roads had been additionally blocked at many places. During the protest, a tyre was burnt on the railway track. Students created a massive ruckus at Sahebpurkamal railway station in the district in addition to arson and stone-pelting.
Lakhisarai district witnessed a comparable furore. A massive organization of protestors together marched in the district against the scheme by the Central government. During the protest, slogans had been additionally raised against the Central authorities. Agitations spilt over to numerous districts as youths protested by lying down on the railway tracks, and blocking off roads, with a demand for the scrapping of the scheme.
Huge crowds amassed in the Bihar’s Chhapra, Jehanabad, Munger and Nawada regions of Bihar, demanding the withdrawal of the Agneepath scheme. An organization of army aspirants protested at Bhabua Road Railway Station and blocked the tracks before putting a train on fire. People hit the streets in Haryana’s Palwal in opposition to the Agneepath scheme for recruitment of youths to defence offerings.
Following this, the Police personnel deployed on the DC house in Palwal resorted to aerial firing to warn protesters who had been pelting stones at the house. Several police automobiles had been torched, numerous roadways buses had been broken in stone-pelting and the National Highway 19 was additionally blocked.
The Police used tear gas shells and fired in the air to control the mob. Amid the protest, the local government suspended Internet and SMS offerings a few times. It was withdrawn later. To keep the scenario under control, Section a hundred and forty-four have been imposed in Palwal.
