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Agnipath stir keeps Bihar on edge, train services suffer amid Centre's many concessions
Agnipath protests: Police said 250 people were arrested from across the state during the day, putting the total number of arrests so far in the agitation since Thursday at 718.
The Centre's newly unveiled Agnipath recruitment scheme for the defence forces continued to be met with massive protests, some of which turned violent, especially in Bihar, for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday.
The Narendra Modi-led government announced key reservations in several key areas for recruits of the Agnipath scheme, Agniveers, but the same was yet to cut ice with the protesters, mostly defence aspirants who are majorly upset about the short-term contractual nature of the recruitment scheme.
Meanwhile, railway stations, trains and other public properties remained the worst targets of the protesters, leading to losses worth crores, besides cancellation train services.
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Here are some of the key developments of the day:
- In Bihar, the worst-hit state, violence prevailed during a state-wide bandh called by Army aspirants to press the demand for rollback of the new system of recruitment. Police said 250 people were arrested from across the state during the day, putting the total number of arrests so far in the agitation since Thursday at 718.
- Vandals attacked the Taregana railway station in Masaurhi sub-division of Patna district where they also set ablaze a four-wheeler used by police. They also hurled stones at the personnel and exchanged gunshots with them.
- An ambulance was attacked by protesters in Danapur and the driver alleged that the patient and attendants inside were also thrashed.
- In Patna, demonstrations were staged at a number of places and at least three prominent politicians got detained by police. Jamui MP Chirag Paswan was temporarily detained near the Hartali Chowk after he squatted on the road in protest against being stopped from staging a march to the Raj Bhavan.
Also read | 'First strike then think is not good...': BJP's Varun Gandhi on concessions for 'Agniveers'
- Stray incidents were also reported from districts like Jehanabad, where a police party was attacked, and Gaya where a train coach was set afire. No passenger on board the train was injured and the affected compartment was quickly decoupled, an official said.
- According to the Railways, 369 trains were cancelled across the country during the day in view of the protests. These include 210 mail/express and 159 local passenger trains.
- A number of heads of coaching centres are under the lens of the administration amid the protests. In Telangana's Secunderabad, where a youth was killed in alleged police firing during a protest a day ago, the owner of a coaching institute was detained in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh.
- A 10-per cent reservation in job vacancies in the defence ministry was announced for the ‘Agniveers’ meeting the requisite eligibility criteria.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as well as several states also said that ‘Agniveers’ will be given preference while filling up vacancies in police forces.
- The MHA said 10 per cent job vacancies will be reserved for recruitment in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Assam Rifles for "Agniveers". It further said it will give a three-year age relaxation to "Agniveers", beyond the prescribed upper-age limit, for recruitment in the CAPFs and the Assam Rifles.
- The Opposition also continued to hit out at the BJP-led government over the protests. Congress president Sonia Gandhi said her party stood in solidarity with the protesters, while urging them to consider peaceful and non-violent means for their agitation.
- The Congress-led Rajasthan government unanimously passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme. The council of ministers, who gathered at Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot's residence, took the decision in view of the doubts created in the minds of tens of thousands of aspirants who have now taken to the streets.
- Kerala chief minister and Communist leader Pinarayi Vijayan appealed to the Prime Minister to put the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme amid nationwide protests. He said the protests are a “clear indication of the sentiments of India's youngsters”.
