Agnipath Protests: One dead in Telangana violence; Opposition destroying public property, says Bihar deputy CM after attack on residence

“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.

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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

https://mobile.twitter.com/priyankagandhi/status/1537647005962752001

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.