Agnipath protests turn violent across India: Trains set on fire, one dead in Telangana

Protesting students also staged peaceful agitations at Muzaffarpur carrying national flags in Patna.

In Bihar, protesters torched six compartments of a train at Moihuddin Nagar in Samastipur, and two coaches of another train at Lakhisarai station.

In both the incidents, no one was hurt as the protesters emptied the coaches before setting them ablaze. However, over half-a-dozen trains are delayed on the Patna-Howrah and Patna-Bhagalpur routes.

Protesters also blocked railway traffic at Bihiya station near Ara and Lakhisarai. They also staged peaceful agitations at Muzaffarpur carrying national flags.

The aspirants, besides protesting against the short tenure of Agnipath scheme, also want the Central government to clarify the status of examinations conducted in 2019 and 2020.

On Thursday, students torched some compartments of three trains and 125 protestors were arrested.

Protesters also targetted the houses of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi and Bihar BJP president and West Champaran MP Dr Sanjay Jaiswal

Uttar Pradesh

Policemen try to douse a fire in a train, set by people protesting against Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme, in Ballia, Friday. (Source: PTI)

Protests spread across Uttar Pradesh where agitators pelted stones on public buses in Agra and set a train on fire at the Ballia railway station in the state. Police forces were deployed to disperse the crowd. In Ballia, the protesters gathered at the Veeri Lork Stadium and later marched to the railway station.

The police confirmed that the situation was under control.

Telangana

A mob vandalized and set ablaze train coaches in Secunderabad railway station. One protester was reportedly dead and several others were injured during the protest. The protesters blocked railway tracks, set trains on fire and damaged offices on platform number 1 and 10.

Emergency helpline numbers were put out on social media platforms by the Southern Central Railway authority following the chaos.

Haryana

On Thursday, protesters in Haryana’s Palwal had attacked the residence of the deputy commissioner of the town. They blocked roads and pelted stones and torched public vehicles. In Palwal, 15 police personnel were injured and 5 government vehicles were set on fire.

Indian Army aspirants block traffic movement at Bilaspur Chowk area to protest against ‘Agnipath’ scheme, in Gurugram, Thursday, June 16, 2022. (Source: PTI)

On Friday as a precautionary measure, Section 144 was imposed in Gurugram.

Meanwhile, several BJP-ruled states — including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam — have said that the ‘Agniveers’ will also be given preference in police recruitment after they exit the armed forces in four years. Meanwhile, Haryana said the state  will give them “preference in jobs and other works.”

Following the anti-Agnipath protests, the Central government on Thursday extended the upper age limit for army recruitment from 21 years to 23 years.

While on one side, violence marred the streets of all major cities, officials sought to allay concerns and circulated a Myth vs Fact document to underline that the new scheme will not only bring in new capabilities but will also open up avenues in the private sector, and help the young men become entrepreneurs with the aid of a financial package.