Agnipath protests LIVE updates: 200 train services affected, 35 trains cancelled as stir turns violent

Violence against Agnipath scheme rocked Secunderabad railway station on Friday (June 17) as hundreds of youth set afire a train and vandalised the station. The protesters went on rampage at the station, setting afire East Coast Express, stalls and other railway property. In Bihar, protests continued for the second consecutive day as protestors disrupted the movement of trains in various districts of the state. The movement of trains was affected as agitating protestors chose to voice their concerns by sitting on the railway tracks. Roads were also blocked at many places. During the protest, a tyre was burnt on the railway track.

This scheme entails a recruitment process for individuals with ranks below that of officers, with the goal of deploying fitter, younger troops on the front lines, many of whom will be on four-year contracts. It’s envisioned as a game-changer that will give the Army, Navy, and Air Force a more youthful image. But many people, including politicians, have said that the Centre’s new scheme is unfair and would end up depriving the recruited personnel of various monetary benefits, while only 25% of the recruits will have a future in the Armed forces at the end of the four-year period. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs has assured that while recruiting Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Aginveers will be prioritised.