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Agnipath fire rages on in Punjab
Anti-Agnipath agitators vandalise railway station in Ludhiana, six held; 18 trains cancelled in Ferozepur railway division, highways blocked in Jalandhar
Ludhiana/Ferozepur/Jalandhar : Anti-Agnipath protesters went on a rampage on Saturday damaging property at the Ludhiana railway station and blocking the PAP Chowk in Jalandhar, prompting the Ferozepur railway division to cancel 18 trains on different routes.
In a statement, the office of divisional railway manager, Ferozepur, said taking in consideration the safety of passengers, 18 trains on various routes including seven on Saturday and 11 scheduled on Sunday have cancelled following protest over Angipath scheme. On Friday, 13 trains were cancelled in the Ferozepur division.
In Ludhiana, protesters barged inside the railway station and set afire a hut and damaged furniture. The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested six youths identified as Harmanpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh of Sarabha village in Ludhiana, Sukhprit Singh of Alamgir village, Ludhiana, Harmel Singh and Kuljit Singh of Moga and Kuljinder Singh of Rupnagar for rioting and damaging public property.
Officials said that around 11am, 60-70 youngsters carrying iron rods and sticks damaged glass panes at the entrance of Ludhiana railway station, burnt a hut and dumped furniture on railway tracks. GRP inspector Jaskaran Singh said some protesters were carrying bottles filled with petrol in their hands.
Four trains were halted outside the Ludhiana railway station, including New Delhi Shatabdi, Shan-e-Punjab, Nangal Dam Express and Pathankot-Delhi Express for an hour. Some protesters also pelted security staff with stones.
A senior police official said the protesters initially gathered at Bharat Ratan Chowk and Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib. “They vandalised a police vehicle near Durga Mata Temple and ran towards the railway station. Over 60 rioters entered the station from the main gate and rushed towards the entrance towards platform-1 where they vandalised the glass panes, said a police official.
After cops chased them, most of the rioters escaped towards Jagraon Bridge. Government railway police DSP Balram Rana said due to the alertness of security staff, nobody was hurt.
An official, requesting anonymity, said the protesters came from across Punjab. It was an intelligence failure as protesters managed to assemble at the railway station, he said. An intelligence officer said that they had information about a protest in Jalandhar and didn’t have any clue about violence in Ludhiana.
Ludhiana commissioner of police Kaustubh Sharma said: “We have beefed up security at the railway station and around the city. Railway police along with other security agencies have been deployed to avoid untoward incidents. Anti-sabotage squads, bomb squads, GRP and RPF personnel, dog squads, and forces from the police commissionerate have been deployed at the station.”
A case under Sections 148, 149 and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the IPC has been registered.
The Northern Railways has written to Punjab director general of police to provide security to train passengers on June 20 following a “Bharat Bandh” call given by protesters on June 20.
Protest march in Jalandhar
In Jalandhar, youths took out a march and later held a protest. They took out protest march from Rama Mandi chowk to PAP Chowk and blocked the national highway and demanded that the Centre should withdraw the Agnipath scheme.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann assured them of the state government’s support and urged them to call off the protest. The protestors said the central government was toying with their future and also mocking the army through the scheme. They demanded that the new scheme be rolled back and the results of the test held for recruitment to the army be declared.
The CM, in his telephonic conversation with the agitating youth, asked them not to cause any harm as the Punjab government was with them.
