Agnipath Protest Live News, Agneepath Scheme Protests Latest Updates: Bihar took the centerstage as violent protests against the Centre’s Agnipath recruitment scheme intensified on Friday with agitators burning over a dozen trains, vandalising public vehicles and blocking roads and highways. On Thursday, protesters set trains on fire, attacked public and police vehicles as they demanded rollback of the new recruitment scheme for the defence forces. As the violence spiralled, the government raised the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 years for recruitment under the scheme for the year 2022, without making a reference to the turmoil.
From Bihar’s Ara to Haryana’s Palwal, from Agra in Uttar Pradesh to Gwalior and Indore in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, hundreds of young aspirants for jobs in the armed forces took to streets, pouring their anger on public and private property. Bihar bore the brunt of the violence with trains set ablaze, window panes of buses smashed and passersby, including a ruling BJP MLA, pelted with stones on Thursday, the second day of the protest against the scheme which envisages a short four-year term for soldiers in the three armed forces entailing no gratuity or pension upon retirement.
Agnipath Scheme Protests Live News Updates, Agneepath Scheme Protest Latest News
“Army will start training recruits under Agnipath scheme by December,” Officials were quoted as saying news agency PTI. Selection process by Air Force under Agnipath scheme will start from June 24, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari told PTI.
In Bharatpur, hundreds of youths blocked the Agra-Bandikui railway track. Wearing masks, some of them pelted stones at police personnel due to which police resorted to firing tear gas shells to disperse the mob. “Stones were pelted at policemen. One policeman was injured. We had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Situation is now under control,” Bharatpur Superintendent of Police Shyam Singh said. (PTI)
Protests against the Centre's Agnipath scheme for recruitment in defence services continued across Rajasthan on Friday with protesters holding demonstrations, taking out rallies, blocking railway tracks and damaging public property. (PTI)
“They would have learnt to operate a gun. Where are you taking the society? Your intentions don't seem pure. If you leave the people in society in the middle, they would form gangs and they might get involved in criminal activities,” Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel told reporters
Amid widespread protests against the Agnipath scheme which have largely affected train services with protesters blocking tracks and setting fire to railway coaches, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw appealed to the youth to not indulge in violent protests and refrain from damaging Railways property.
Protesting students have called for 'Bharat Bandh' in protest against the Centre's Agnipath recruitment scheme. RJD in Bihar has extended its support to the bandh call.
One person died and three received injuries after railway police open fire at ‘Agnipath’ protesters at Secunderabad Railway Station on Friday. The deceased is identified as one Damodar from Warangal district.
The Government has announced a one-time upper age limit relaxation for the recruitment process through Agnipath scheme for 2022 to 23 years. The relaxation of age indicates that the Government cares for our youth. Department of Military Affairs, MoD and Services are committed to commence the recruitment process at the earliest, we invite youth of our country to join Indian Armed Forces and serve the Nation through Agnipath: Rajnath Singh
It was very interesting to read the recent article in HT on ToD viz, “ToD Scheme, An Idea Whose Time Has Come”. All the assumed advantages have been painfully elaborated and stated but none justified with relevant use cases, writes Air Cmde TK Chatterjee (retd). Read More
While the government press release gives out the broader outline of the policy, the nitty gritty is what escapes the eye and is the cause of uncertainty of the Veterans. Read Full Story
No change is being done to the Army’s regimental system under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme and the numbers of personnel to be recruited in the first year of its roll out would only make up three per cent of the armed forces, government sources said on Thursday amid wide-spread protest against the new model in several parts of the country. Read More
The scheme once put in motion is going to lower the age profile of the Indian Armed Forces and to contain the ballooning pension bill, as a major chunk of the budget was going into salaries and pensions and the long-awaited modernisation projects of the armed forces were getting delayed. Read More
The ‘Agnipath’ is going through a severe ‘AgniPariksha’. The acid test of any military transformation of such nature must be the effect on the operational ability of our cutting-edge fighting units. If the transformation enables and empowers the frontline units and enhances the security of the nation, then it is great. Read More
In Varanasi, two roadways buses were vandalized by youths protesting against the Agnipath scheme, reports The Indian Express. A police officer said that the youths were spoken to and dispersed. “Situation is now under control. We are doing patrolling,” the officer said.
All gates of ITO Metro Station closed, tweets DMRC as All India Students' Association stages protest against Agnipath scheme
All gates of Delhi Gate and Jama Masjid metro stations are closed: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
The Trinamool Congress on Friday criticised the Centre’s Agnipath recruitment scheme, calling it “anti-national” and demanding that it be withdrawn immediately. The ruling party in West Bengal also charged that this was done by the BJP to “win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections”. Read More
Agra-Lucknow Expressway blocked by protesters: TV reports
A total of 200 train services have been affected due to the ongoing agitation; 35 train services stand cancelled while 13 have been short terminated, throughout the country.
Agnipath protesters set train on fire in Secunderabad, one injured in police firing.
Agitators attacked the house of state BJP chief and West Champaran MP Dr Sanjay Jaiswal by firing in the air. Jaiswal is inside his house and safe under police cover, the police told The Indian Express.
In view of the Agnipath protests in the country, the railway stations have been put on alert in Uttar Pradesh. The leaves of GRP personnel have been cancelled till June 23.
The house of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi was attacked in Bettiah in Bihar's West Champaran district today. Renu Devi is currently in Patna.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not understand what the people of the country want as he cannot hear anything except the voice of his “friends”.
He said this a day after the government raised the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 years for recruitment under 'Agnipath', amid protests by youth in several parts of the country against the scheme.
Gandhi also cited schemes such as GST, noteban, farm laws and now Agnipath, saying they were projected to be for the welfare of the people but were rejected by the citizens.
“Agnipath – youth rejected. Farm laws – farmers rejected. Noteban – economists rejected. GST – traders rejected.
“The prime minister does not understand what the people of the country want, as he cannot hear anything except the voice of his 'friends',” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. PTI
As the protest continues to intensify, the authorities have launched helpline numbers for different Railway stations. People can contact authorities at Khargariya by dialing 8252912031, for Hajipur the official helpline is 8252912078, and for Barauni it is 8252912043.
Aspirants on Friday morning 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.
A mob vandalised a train in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district this morning. The mob also damaged railway station property, before the police used force to disperse them.
Police fired teargas shells and used baton to break up protests by angry youngsters who blocked railway tracks, threw burning tyres on roads, and performed push-ups and other drills on the streets against the new recruitment policy.
In Nawada, the vehicle of BJP MLA Aruna Devi, who was on her way to a court, was attacked by the agitators, leaving five persons, including the legislator, injured.
Railway property was vandalised and protesters set fire to stationary carriages at Bhabhua and Chhapra stations and smashed window panes of coaches at many places.
“So far we have arrested 125 people in connection with the violence. Two dozen FIRs have been registered. At least 16 police personnel have been injured across the state in clashes with the protesters,” Sanjay Singh, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), told PTI.
Protesters torched government vehicles in Palwal, forcing the authorities to impose prohibitory orders and suspend mobile internet services to stop the spread rumours through social media platforms. Altogether 20 young men were rounded up over the violence. Five government vehicles were set on fire by the protesters while stones were thrown at the residence of the Palwal deputy commissioner.
Protests also took place in Gurugram, Rewari, Charkhi Dadri, Hisar and Rohtak of Haryana.
Violent demonstrations were held in Gwalior and Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Bulandshahr and Ballia districts of Uttar Pradesh. Protests were also held in Jodhpur, Sikar, Jaipur, Nagaur, Ajmer and Jhunjhunu districts of Rajasthan but no violence was reported.
