Aspirants for jobs in the armed forces on Thursday blocked road and rail traffic in several states for the second consecutive day to protest the Centre’s short-term recruitment scheme, The Indian Express reported.
The Agnipath scheme, which envisages recruitment in the armed forces for four years, was approved by the Union Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday morning. Through the scheme, the government is seeking to reduce the average age of defence personnel and cut down the salary and pension bills of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The protests took place in several parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana on Thursday.
In Bihar, the demonstrations turned violent in several places, as some of the protestors broke window panes of trains and buses. Protesters in Bihar’s Bhabua and Chhapra cities set train coaches on fire, PTI reported.
भभुआ में प्रदर्शनकारियों ने ट्रेन में आग लगाई, जमकर तोड़-फोड़ की. #Agnipath #Agniveer pic.twitter.com/uW7pqPIeMR
— Utkarsh Singh (@UtkarshSingh_) June 16, 2022
In the Nawada district, agitators threw stones at Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Aruna Devi’s car. Five persons, including the legislator, were injured in the attack. “The protestors seemed to have been provoked by the sight of the party flag, fitted on my car, which they tore,” Devi said.
The MLA told reporters that she was “too shaken” to file a police complaint.
At some places…