New Delhi, Lucknow, Gurugram : The Central Government’s newly launched Agnipath scheme and delay in railway recruitment examinations triggered protests in different parts of the country on Thursday. The agitators stopped a train in Delhi, a railway official said. More than 50 youths entered the Nangloi railway station and protested against the delay in railway recruitment tests and Agnipath scheme. The angry youths stopped the train number 04424 (Jind to old Delhi), said deputy commissioner of police Sameer Sharma.
On getting information, the in charge of Nangloi police station rushed to the spot and requested the protesters to vacate the railway track. The protesters said that they had filled forms for some government examinations nearly three years ago, but did not get any information. The agitators dispersed after the police pacified them, Sharma said. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces and those selected will be called ‘Agniveers’. It is a short-term recruitment.
Hundreds of Army aspirants blocked the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway in Gurugram’s Bilaspur area in protest against Agnipath scheme. As a result of the road blockade, traffic movements came to a grinding halt. The protesters raised slogans against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, demanding rollback of the new scheme.
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There were protests against the Agnipath scheme in some districts of Uttar Pradesh. Hundreds of students blocked the GT Road in Bulandshahr and raised slogans, demanding the withdrawal of the scheme. The officials of the district administration had a tough time to deal with the situation. The protesters then submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate. Similarly, a large number of students, carrying placards and banners, shouted slogans against the scheme in Gonda and Unnao.
