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Agnipath protests: Gates at some metro stations in Delhi closed, Section 144 in Gurugram
Protests against the Agnipath Scheme registered its first fatality in Hyderabad on Friday when the police opened fire at Secunderabad to control the protesters killing one.
The ongoing protests against the Agnipath scheme reached the National Capital Region on Friday, with the Delhi Metro authorities closing some gates of the metro station and the Gurugram authorities clamping down Section 144 in the district. All India Students' Association staged a protest against the Agnipath scheme in Delhi following which teh Delhi Metro Rail Corporation shut some gates of ITO station, Dhansa Bus Stand Metro station and Jama Masjid Metro station for some time. Delhi minister Gopal Rai tweeted a photo of a 'peaceful' protest being intervened by the police.
Follow LIVE updates of countrywide protests against Agnipath scheme
The Gurugram authorities on Friday imposed Section 144 in the district barring the gathering of more than four persons as a preemptive measure. "..it has been made to appear to me that crowd may assemble around the railway stations, bus stand, markets, National Highways, power grid and other places of Gurugram which may create obstruction, disturbance or interference of law and order," an order issued by district magistrate Nishant Kumar Yadav read.
"The order shall not apply to police and public servants on duty," the order said.
After Thursday's protests in Haryana's Palwal, mobile internet and SMS services were suspended in Fardiabad's Ballabhgarh for 24 hours.
The Centre announced the Agnipath scheme of military recruitment which will provide employment opportunities to youth between the age of 17.5 years and 21 for a contract of four years at the end of which only 25% of the batch will be retained and others will be provided with several benefits for their future.
The scheme did not go down well with the youth waiting for the resumption of the military recruitment for the last two years and political parties too extended support to the protesters demanding immediate withdrawal of the scheme.
After massive protests majorly in northern states, Hyderabad on Friday witnessed huge ruckus as protesters vandalised Secunderabad railway station. One fatality was also reported after police opened fire to bring the protests under control.
