Agnipath protest Day 3: Bihar deputy CM house attacked; Gurgaon bans large gatherings
Agnipath protest Day 3: Protests against 'Agnipath' turn violent in Bihar; houses of Deputy CM, state BJP chief attacked
Agnipath protest Day 3: Protests continued on the third day against the new military scheme even as the Central government on Thursday extended the upper age limit for the Agnipath recruitment scheme from 21 years to 23 years. Trains were set afire, public and police vehicles attacked in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar today. At least on person died and 15 others were injured in Secundrabad, Telangana, as protests spread to southern India
Here are the top developments so far in the story
- Even as protests, mar the Indian nation following the announcement and implementation of the Agnipath scheme announced on Tuesday by defense minister Rajnath Singh, the three chiefs of Indian Defence services on Friday hailed the decision of the Central government to approve the Agnipath Scheme, a recruitment process for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces.
- We will take strict action. Around 5 people arrested. No major injuries to police/passengers. Security to be increased: Patna DM Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh
- 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, reports ANI
- Gurugram imposes Section 144, bans large gatherings
- Protesters erected barriers on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway to stop buses and pelted stones at them while the traffic also briefly came to a standstill on the Yamuna Expressway near Noida.
- Buses targeted while attempts were made to vandalize them on Waziarabad road in North-east Delhi's Khajuri area as people protested against Agnipath Scheme. Police reached the spot & controlled the situation. Case of riot being filed against miscreants, said Delhi Police
- Protesters allegedly attacked Bihar BJP president and West Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal's house. Jaiswal, while confirming the development to ANI, said that he was at his ancestral residence when the incident took place. "Not much damage to the property has been done," he said.
- Bihar ADG, Law and Order, Sanjay Singh, on Friday said that till now 24 FIRs have been registered and 125 people have been arrested in connection with the vandalism that took place as a part of the protest against the Centre' newly introduced Agnipath scheme. "Some anti-social elements have also entered the protests leading to violence. I appeal to all not to take the law into their hands," he added.
- The protest against the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme spread to the South on Friday as police fired in the air to disperse protesters who went on the rampage at Secunderabad Railway station. According to a senior official of South Central Railway, the agitators set on fire some coaches of three passenger trains and none of the passengers was hurt in the incidents. "There was an incident (of firing), to control them and some firing also happened," the official told PTI. Latest update states that at least one person died and fiften others were injured in the violent protest
- The North Central Railways have issued a list of trains which will be controlled
1)12303 Howrah - New Delhi Poorva Express
2)12353 Howrah - Lalkuan Express
3) 18622 Ranchi - Patna Patliputra Express
4)18182 Danapur - Tata Express
5) 22387 Howrah - Dhanbad Black Diamond Express
6) 13512 Asansol - Tata Express
7) 13032 Jaynagar - Howrah Express
8) 13409 Malda Town - Kiul Express
Trains cancelled
1)12335 Malda Town - Lokmanya Tilak (T) Express
2) 12273 Howrah - New Delhi Duronto Express
Moreover, 13401Bhagalpur - Danapur Intercity Express and 03487 Jamalpur - Kiul DEMU Passenger Special will be short terminated at Dhanauri.
- North Eastern Railways cancelled 12 trains and short terminated 4 trains heading towards Prayagraj, Ballia, Varanasi and other districts.
- Bihar Deputy chief minister Renu Devi's house attacked at Bettiah
- 8 train services affected due to ongoing students' agitation at various stations over East Central Railway jurisdiction; 12335 Malda Town - Lokmanya Tilak (T) Express & 12273 Howrah - New Delhi Duronto Express cancelled: Ekalabya Chakraborty, CPRO.
- Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav issued an appeal to the youth on Friday to not indulge in violent protests and not damage the property of the Railways
- Haryana government has suspended mobile internet and SMS services for 24 hours in Ballabhgarh area of Faridabad district as a precautionary measure.
- The Centre's decision to increase the upper age limit for joining the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in defence services will benefit a large number of youth, Home Minister Amit Shah said today.
- Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today attacked the government over the Agnipath scheme, and demanded its immediate withdrawal. In a tweet in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said "not even 24 hours had passed" that the BJP government had to change the rules of the new army recruitment scheme. This means the scheme is being imposed on the youth in haste, the Congress general secretary said. "Narendra Modi ji, withdraw this scheme immediately. Give appointments and put out the result of the stalled recruitment in 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 against Agneepath recruitment scheme set an empty train on fire and vandalised a few other trains here, prompting the police to lathicharge them. A video of the youths raising the slogans and vandalising the Ballia-Varanasi Memu and Ballia-Shahganj trains has gone viral.
- In the Begusarai district, the agitated youth blocked the Rajbara Gumti road. The movement of trains was affected as agitating protestors chose to voice their concerns by sitting on the railway tracks. Roads were also blocked at many places. During the protest, a tyre was burnt on the railway track. Students created a huge ruckus at Sahebpurkamal railway station in the district as well as arson and stone-pelting.
- Lakhisarai district witnessed a similar furore. A huge group of protestors jointly marched in the district against the scheme by the Central government. During the protest, slogans were also raised against the Central government.
- Agitations spilt over to several districts as youths protested by lying down on the railway tracks, and blocking roads, demanding the scrapping of the scheme.
- Huge crowds gathered in the Bihar's Chhapra, Jehanabad, Munger and Nawada areas of Bihar, demanding the withdrawal of the Agneepath scheme. A group of army aspirants protested at Bhabua Road Railway Station and blocked the tracks before setting a train on fire.
- People hit the streets in Haryana's Palwal against the Agneepath scheme for recruitment of youths to defence services. Following this, the Police personnel deployed at the DC residence in Palwal resorted to aerial firing to warn protesters who were pelting stones at the residence.
- Several police vehicles were torched, several roadways buses were damaged in stone-pelting and the National Highway 19 was also blocked. The Police used tear gas shells and fired in the air to control the mob. Amid the protest, local authorities suspended Internet and SMS services for some time. It was withdrawn later. To keep the situation under control, Section 144 has been imposed in Palwal.
- The Central government on Thursday extended the upper age limit for the Agneepath recruitment scheme. The age waiver will be given only "one time" for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022, informed the Defence Ministry. "Consequent to the commencement of the Agnipath scheme, the entry age for all new recruits in the Armed Forces has been fixed as 17.5 to 21 years of age. Cognizant of the fact that it has not been possible to undertake the recruitment during the last two years, the Government has decided that a one-time waiver shall be granted for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022. Accordingly, the upper age limit for the recruitment process for the Agnipath scheme for 2022 is increased to 23 years," the Defence Ministry statement reads.
- The Congress is among the many opposition parties that has raised concerns. "How do you train a soldier in six months? This is not Boy Scout training. This is not NCC. This is a fighting soldier who has to give up his life, not only for his country but also for his comrades. He is fighting in the trenches, in a unit. You don't inculcate such qualities in six months of training. They are treating it like Boy Scout training. And then after you half-train them, where will you deploy them," former union minister P Chidambaram said on Thursday.
- The Union Cabinet on 14 June approved the Agneepath recruitment scheme which provides an opportunity for Indian youth to serve in the regular cadre of the Armed Forces for a period of four years.
- Agneepath scheme aims to make the Army a future-ready fighting force capable of meeting multiple challenges across the full spectrum of conflict, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande said on Tuesday.
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Business NewsNewsIndiaAgnipath protest Day 3: Bihar deputy CM house attacked; Gurgaon bans large gatherings
First Published:17 Jun 2022, 05:17 PM IST
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