The protests agains the Agnipath recruitment scheme to the armed forces continued for the fourth consecutive day in lots of elements of the nation regardless of bulletins of reservations for Agniveers in numerous authorities jobs. The Opposition events have additionally began parallel agitations towards the scheme, although they distanced themselves from the violence witnessed in the course of the protests.
Tension mounted in Warangal city in Telangana in the course of the funeral procession of Rakesh who was killed in Friday’s police firing on a rampaging mob at Secunderabad railway station. The crowd within the procession barged right into a BSNL workplace on the way in which and burnt a board. The crowd additionally tried to take the physique in direction of Warangal railway station however police resorted to a baton cost to forestall the identical.
In Bihar, issues remained uncontrolled as aspirants set a railway station and ambulances on hearth and clashed with police personnel at a number of locations. The Railways suspended motion of many trains until 8 p.m. on Saturday and mentioned property value ₹200 crore had been broken by protesting aspirants. In Patna, detained college students leaders to disperse the protesters. When requested by media individuals why the State police couldn’t sort out the protest on time, Bihar Director General of Police S.Ok. Singhal replied, “that is your perception” and moved forward in his official automobile.
Meanwhile, a Railway official Prabhat Kumar mentioned, “Incidents of vandalism at railway premises have led to loss of over ₹200 crore in the State. As many as 50 coaches and five engines of trains have been burnt and are out of service. Platforms, computers and various technical parts too were damaged.” The Railways on Saturday suspended motion of trains within the State until 8 p.m. to keep away from any additional injury. “Over 325 persons have been arrested and about 60 FIRs have been lodged for indulging in violent incidents at different places,” mentioned a senior police official of Bihar.
The protesting aspirants set Taregna railway station, about 30 kms away from Patna, on hearth and vandalised police posts and a few autos parked there. Some ambulances too had been broken at Arwal in Patna district. The protesters continued vandalism in Masaurhi, Jehanabad, Fatuha, Munger and different locations.
Editorial | Playing with hearth: The Hindu Editorial on Agnipath
Some college students organisations just like the All India Students Association (AISA), Rojgar Sangharsh Sanyukt Morcha, Sena Bharti Jawan Morcha and others supported by Left events had known as for Bihar bandh on Saturday towards the Central authorities’s short-term contractual companies within the defence forces. “We got wide support from people for our bandh call. A large number of people had come out to the street despite Internet suspension, Section 144 of Cr PC imposition and heavy deployment of security forces. It was a successful shutdown,” mentioned Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) State secretary Kumar.
Seventeen trains originating from totally different stations of Eastern Railways had been cancelled. While 15 trains that had been scheduled on Saturday had been cancelled, two Raxaul summer season specials and the Kolkata-Jhanshi Pratham Swatantrata Sangram Express scheduled on Sunday had been cancelled.
Among the trains cancelled on Saturday had been the Raxaul Mithila Express, the Gaya Express Kathgodam Bagh Express ranging from Howrah Station, the Malda Town – Delhi Farakka Express ranging from Malda and the Sealdah Ballia Express ranging from Sealdah station. The route of some trains was additionally modified. Sealdah – Saharsa Hatebazare Express can be short-terminated at Malda Town and Saharsa Sealdah Hatebazare Express can be short-originated from Malda Town station, a press assertion by Eastern Railway mentioned. This was the second consecutive day that the prepare companies had been severely disrupted.
Hundreds of passengers who had arrived at totally different stations together with at Howrah had been seen ready on the platforms. Some passengers additionally tried to take buses to achieve their vacation spot.
While there was no violence in Kolkata on Saturday, there have been protests within the metropolis and its suburbs. Supporters of the All India Democratic Students Organisation, the scholar wing of SUCI (Communist), held protests at Hazra crossing within the metropolis, solely 100m from the residence of the Chief Minister. The protesters had been picked up by the police. A gaggle additionally tried to dam Railway companies by protesting on the tracks close to Barrackpore Railway station.
Railway companies alongside the Sealdah-Barrackpore route in North 24 Parganas district was disrupted for round an hour due to the protests. The protests had been stopped on the intervention of the police. A big police contingent was deployed in entrance of the state headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Congress celebration in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday stepped up protests and the Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, requested the Punjab authorities to convey forth a decision towards the Agnipath scheme, in the course of the upcoming session of the Punjab State Assembly. He additionally demanded the Punjab authorities take an all-party delegation to satisfy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the difficulty.
Mr. Bajwa mentioned the Punjab authorities should take these steps instantly, if Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is certainly considering defending the pursuits of the youth of Punjab. “We must stand united behind the future generations of Punjabis and protect their interests immediately,” he mentioned.
In Punjab, a bunch of protesters broken window panes on the Ludhiana railway station, whereas in Jalandhar, protesters staged a march. In Haryana, some protesters set a automobile on hearth exterior Mahendergarh railway station. Demonstrations had been additionally held in Sonipat and protesters blocked the Rohtak-Panipat freeway. In Kaithal, Fatehabad and Jind, protest marches had been held.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to the consultant of the Haryana Governor towards the Agnipath scheme. A gathering of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), chaired by former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was held.
Mr. Hooda mentioned the Agnipath scheme is neither within the curiosity of the nation nor within the curiosity of the youth. “Contract recruitment is playing with the future of the youth and the security of the country. Before doing military reform, it is very important to consult with all the sections affected by it,” he mentioned. He mentioned that the memorandum additionally maintained that the Enforcement Directorate is appearing towards Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on the behest of the federal government on account of political vendetta and the Congress celebration stands strongly towards such vendetta.
Protests had been held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode too towards the scheme underneath the banner of varied college students and youth organisations.
(With inputs from Patna, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad)
Source: www.thehindu.com
