E-Paper
Agnipath protests: 20 held for vandalising property, stone-pelting in MP’s Indore
In Gwalior, where violent protests were held on Thursday, police arrested 30 young men and three directors of a coaching institute for instigating the protests by sending inflammatory messages on Whatsapp groups.
Hundreds of protestors armed with stones blocked the Mumbai-Agra highway and the Laxmi Nagar railway station in Indore on Friday morning demonstrating against the Centre’s recently launched Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment in the country’s defence services. Police used tear-gas to disperse the mob and arrested 20 people.
The protestors vandalised properties at Laxmi Nagar railway station and pelted stones at the police and the railway protection force (RPF) personnel.
During the protests, Banganga police station sub-inspector Swaraj Dabi was injured while he was attempting to control the mob.
“A large group of young men with their faces covered gathered at the Laxmi Nagar railway station. The protestors also stopped a train coming from Pune to Indore. They later started pelting stones and vandalising public property. RPF and police personnel managed to protect the passengers on board the train. After two hours, the train reached the railway station,” Indore additional commissioner of police Rajesh Hingekar said.
As fallout of the agitation, the Lokmanya Tilak Patliputra Express was stopped at Itarsi and the Mahanagari Express was halted at Harda.
A large contingent of police force has been deployed inside and outside the railway station. According to the Indore Railway Public Relations Officer, Ratlam-Mhow and Mhow-Indore MEMU trains have both been cancelled.
After staging violent protests at the local railway station, the protestors reached the Agra-Mumbai highway and blocked it for half an hour. Two FIRs have been registered at Banganga police station and with the GRP in Indore for rioting.
Police personnel have also been deployed in Mhow cantonment area.
In Gwalior, where violent protests were held on Thursday, police arrested 30 young men and three directors of a coaching institute for instigating the protests by sending inflammatory messages on Whatsapp groups. As many as three FIRs have been registered against protestors.
District administration teams are evaluating the loss caused to government property in Gwalior and Indore.
During his visit to Gwalior on Friday, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, “This scheme will not stop anyone from joining the army. This is a revolutionary scheme to prepare the youth for all kinds of jobs they want to join. The youth, who are staging a protest, have no knowledge about the scheme and Congress and other opposition parties are misguiding the youth.”
MP home minister Narottam Mishra said, “We are trying to clear the misconception among the youth about the scheme. The district administration and police are holding discussions with coaching institutes and others to maintain law and order.”
