Protests turn worse in Bihar and other states over Central government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme

Violent protest over the Central government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in armed forces continued across Bihar on Thursday with hundreds of aspirants disrupting rail and road traffic while police fired tear gas shells to disperse them.On Wednesday also, aspirants staged protests at Muzaffarpur, Begusarai and Buxar district over the scheme, disrupting road and rail traffic movement. The protests which started in Bihar has now spread to Uttar  Pradesh, and Haryana.The protesters have been demanding withdrawal of the Army's  scheme, under which youth will get a 4-year tenure in the armed forces. They will also be entitled to monetary benefits at the end of their four year term. 
At Ara (Bhojpur) railway station, the protesters pelted stones at police, and railway staff were seen using fire extinguishers to put out a fire after protesters burnt station furniture on the tracks. Later, police had to open tear gas shells to disperse the protesters .

In Jehanabad, the aspirants gathered at the railway track and disrupted movement of trains and hurled stones at police and public. The policemen too were seen pelting stones at protesters at the Jehanabad railway station. In Nawada, Saharsha and Chhapra railway stations and highways too, the aspirants burnt tyres and blocked movement of trains and damaged railway properties. The police at Nawada railway station were seen appealing to protesters to maintain peace.On Wednesday too, hundreds of protesters had blocked national highways and rail tracks in different parts of the State.The protesters had blocked national highway-28 in Muzaffarpur and disrupted movement of trains in Buxar district while burning tyres and shouting slogans like “ Bharti do ya arthi do (recruit us or get us killed)”. They said that under the scheme, which was announced on June 14, only up to 25 % of the recruits or ‘Agniveers’ could get regular commission in the services and the rest would be jobless thereafter.