At Lakhminia Railway station, the protestors set fire to railway premises, set up blockades on the tracks and shouted anti-government slogans.
Patna/Ballia: Protests by Armed Forces aspirants against the Agnipath scheme continued on Friday with reports of the agitators burning trains in several pockets of Bihar coming in since early morning. The protests have also spread in other parts of the country but Bihar seems to be the worst-hit.
At Lakhminia Railway station, the protestors set fire to railway premises, set up blockades on the tracks and shouted anti-government slogans.
On Thursday, similar violence had broken out in parts of Bihar over the Centre’s decision to rollout the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of aspirants in the tri-services — Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy — for a period of four years. Armed Forces aspirants had taken to the streets in several parts and had resorted to violence such as setting up roadblocks and smashing window panes of trains.
In some places, the police had to resort to firing teargas shells to disperse the mobs. According to reports, in Jehanabad, students pelted stones at the police which included several cops. Stone pelting also took place in Saharsa while in Chapra, the protestors damaged buses and blocked roads.
Meanwhile, on Friday, in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia railway station, agitators set an empty railway coach on fire despite the police talking to them and trying to disperse them.
Similar scenes came in from Secunderabad railway station where a train was set on fire and officials were seen trying to douse the flames. The protestors also went on a rampage in the station premise and damaged stalls and other railway properties.
The Railway Ministry in a statement has listed out some of the damages and said, “Coaches of three running trains in ECR plus one empty rake in Kulharia (ECR) (Bihar), one stabled coach in washing line in Ballia (UP). This is damage to rolling stocks so far. Damages to fixed assets difficult to be assessed and compiled so early.”
