Protests Over ‘Agnipath’ Scheme: 20 bogies of 2 trains torched in Bihar

Protests against the Center’s ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme erupted in Bihar on Friday, with angry aspirants torching at least 20 bogies of the New Delhi-Bhagalpur Vikramshila Express and the New Delhi-Darbhanga Bihar Sampark Kranti Express at Lakhisarai and Samastipur stations, as well as blocking state highways.
Officials said that demonstrators blocked highways in Buxar, Bhagalpur, and Samastipur and burned tyres in protest.

The protests, which are now in their third day in the state, have caused massive disruptions in railway services at Buxar and Kahalgaon, according to East Central Railways officials.

Umer Javed, the superintendent of railways in Jamalpur, stated that protesters set fire to 12 bogies of the Vikramshila Express. However, no one was hurt.

Protesters also set fire to eight bogies of the Bihar Sampark Kranti at Samastipur railway station, demanding the abolition of the Agnipath scheme for military recruitment, according to a railway official.

According to an ECR official, approximately 20 trains were cancelled as a result of the arson, while many others were either short-terminated or run on alternate routes.

A large number of protestors lay down on the railway tracks at Lakhisarai station, obstructing train movement. Railway police dispersed them with the assistance of local police.

On Thursday, Bihar saw large-scale protests against the central scheme, under which hiring in the Armed Forces was for a four-year period, followed by compulsory retirement for at least 75% of the personnel, with no pension benefits. Thousands of aspirants took to the streets, vandalised buildings and vehicles, marched to railway stations, and set fire to train coaches, demanding that ‘Agnipath’ be repealed immediately. With protests against ‘Agnipath’ reported from across the country, the Centre granted a one-time waiver in the upper age limit for recruitment under the scheme on Thursday, raising it to 23 years from 21 years for 2022.