Massive protests demanding the rollback of the Agnipath scheme continued across the country for the third day on Friday. One protester was killed in police firing in Secunderabad in Telangana and hundreds of people injured in various places in the violence that marked the agitations. Scores of people have been arrested or detained by the police in various States. The Opposition parties, trade unions and outfits of students, youth and farmers pledged support for the protests and demanded immediate reversal of the scheme that “contractualises” Army jobs. Trains and other public property remained the target of the protesters with over 340 trains getting affected on the day due to protests.
One protester was killed and 13 others sustained injuries when police opened fire to quell a violent mob at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday morning. About 1,000 Army recruitment job aspirants reached the railway station and made their way onto the platforms and started damaging railway property. The gathering was apparently mobilised using four WhatsApp groups created by these job aspirants. The vast majority of these protesters hailed from north Telangana districts and some from south Telangana. They said they had appeared for the physical and medical tests and were waiting for the written exam which was postponed on account of the pandemic.
Protests erupted in several districts of West Bengal too. Though there was no report on any violence, rail and vehicular movement was disrupted at various places in the State. The protests started at 7.45 a.m. and continued till 9.30 a.m. The youths carrying the national flag demanded withdrawal of recruitment under the Agnipath scheme. Train services under the Sealdah section was disrupted due to the protests.
