Agnipath row: Protests continue against govt recruitment scheme in Bihar, WB, Odisha

Protesters continued to target railway properties in Bihar and West Bengal on Saturday to vent their ire against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme disrupting train services in the eastern region for the fourth day in a row while demonstrations were held on roads in Odisha and JharkhandMeanwhile the protests against the Agnipath scheme also continued in Haryana with some youths setting a vehicle on fire outside Mahendergarh railway station on Saturday while a group of over 50 agitators barged inside Ludhiana railway station in Punjab causing damage to propertyJob aspirants did pushups on a road in BiharJob aspirants did pushups on a road in Bihar capital Patna and on railway tracks in West Bengals North 24 Parganas while one youth ran 60km in Odishas Nabarangpur as marks of their opposition to the Agnipath shortterm recruitment schemeIn Bihar protesters torched the Taregana railway station in Patna district and a GRP vehicle while several law enforcers were injured in stonethrowing in Jehanabad when a bandh was also called to press for the demand for rollback of the new scheme for recruitment in armed forcesMeanwhile in Danapur subdivision bandh supporters vandalised an ambulance and the driver alleged that a patient and attendants inside were also beaten up by the mobMore protests in Haryana damage caused in Ludhiana railway stationIn Haryana some youths set a vehicle on fire outside Mahendergarh railway station on Saturday while a group of over 50 agitators barged inside Ludhiana railway station in Punjab causing damage to propertyA police official from Mahendergarh which has seen strong protests against the defence recruitment scheme over past few days told news agency ANI that a group of youth set a pickup van on fire and indulged in vandalismIn Punjab a group of over 50 youths who had their faces covered with a cloth barged inside the Ludhiana railway complex As some were carrying sticks they smashed many glass pane and ticket counters police saidPolice jeep roadways bus torched in JaunpurA police jeep and an Uttar Pradesh roadways bus were torched in Jaunpur while RLD and AAP workers protested in Meerut as the agitation against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme spread in different parts of the stateIn Kannauj youths staged a protest at Saurikh on the AgraLucknow Expressway demanding the withdrawal of the contentious schemeDistrict Magistrate of Jaunpur Manish Kumar Verma told PTI hundreds of youths gathered on the JaunpurPrayagraj highway on Saturday morning and damaged many vehicles including two roadways buses and a police carYouth Cong workers stage protest against Agnipath scheme in Mumbai and NagpurWorkers of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress MPYC staged demonstrations in Nagpur on Saturday against the Central governments Agnipath scheme for shortterm recruitment into the armed forcesMumbai Pradesh Youth Congress stages protest against Agnipath Scheme near Kalina in Mumbai Video pdhivar Agnipath Agnipath AgnipathRecruitmentScheme India Mumbai pictwittercomqzbPgM6hxUmdash Mid Day mid_day June 18 2022Claiming that the scheme would destroy the future of youth Youth Congress workers led by their president Kunal Raut protested at Zero Mile in NagpurMeanhwhile Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress also staged protest against Agnipath scheme near Kalina in MumbaiRailways suffer massive losses in BiharThe railways have suffered massive losses in Bihar during protests in the last three days More than 60 train coaches 10 engines and some stations have been torched by groups protesting against the introduction of the new recruitment system wherein 75 per cent of jawans will be retired after four years of service with no pension benefits369 trains cancelled due to Agnipath protestsThe Railways cancelled 369 trains on Saturday due to the agitation against the Centres recently announced Agnipath scheme for recruitment of soldiers in the armed forces officials told PTIThese include 210 mailexpress and 159 local passenger trains The Railways has also partially cancelled two mailexpress trains thus the total number of trains affected during the day is 371 the officials saidThe Centres announcement of the Agnipath scheme which proposes to recruit soldiers for four years and retire 75 per cent of them without pension and other social security benefits after the end of their term has been met with violent protests by youths in various parts of the country They have blocked roads and railway tracks and also set train coaches on fireWith inputs from PTI and ANI