In the capital city, bandh supporters were restrained by police from forcing shops to down their shutters, but they registered their protest by performing push-ups on the roads and scampering away after hurling stones at commercial establishments.
Nationwide protests continue for the third day on Friday against the central government’s Agnipath scheme in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The protesters mainly consist of young people voicing dissent against the government’s four-year scheme. The Centre on Tuesday had unveiled the Agnipath scheme that will allow youngsters aged 17.5 to 21 to be inducted into any of the three services of the Army as “agniveers” for a period of four years. However, in a one-time waiver, the Central government has increased the upper age limit for the Agnipath scheme from 21 to 23 years. In several parts of the country, trains were cancelled and delayed as protesters targeted railway lines. In Bihar, trains were set on fire in several railway stations across the state. More than 100 young men stormed the railway station in Bihar’s Buxar district and squatted on the tracks. Stay on indiatoday.in for more updates.
After protests erupted across the country over the Centre’s new recruitment policy for the armed forces, Agnipath, Congress MP Manish Tewari came out in support of the scheme.