Agnipath ignites protests

New Delhi: Trains were set afire, window panes of buses smashed and passersby, including a ruling BJP MLA, pelted with stones on Thursday in Bihar by Army job aspirants whose protest against the Centre's short-term recruitment scheme, 'Agnipath', continued for the second consecutive day.

The government is under increasing pressure to rethink the Agnipath, its new military recruitment plan, amid protests by army aspirants that have escalated and spread beyond Bihar to many states.

The protests have spread to 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party Janata Dal United (JDU), the BJP's Bihar ally, has emphasised that the government must reconsider the Agnipath system. Even the BJP's own leaders in Bihar, not willing to be named, hope the protests will drive the Centre to take steps that will spare everyone a prolonged crisis.

The scheme in the right direction" given the huge shift in the nature of modern-day warfare, Congress's Manish Tewari said, deviating from the party line on the subject.

As many as 22 trains were cancelled and five had to be halted mid-way, East Central Railway said.

Baton-wielding protestors smashed glass windows of the Intercity Express at Bhabhua Road railway station and set a coach on fire

Protesters with banners reading, "Indian Army lovers," shouted slogans rejecting the new recruitment scheme

In Nawada, the vehicle of BJP MLA Aruna Devi, who was on her way to a court, was attacked by the agitators who hurled stones at her car, leaving five persons, including the legislator, injured.

"The protesters seemed to have been provoked by the sight of the party flag, fitted on my car, which they tore. My driver, two security guards and two personal staff members have sustained injuries," the MLA told reporters, adding that she was "too shaken" to have registered a police complaint.

Railway property bore the brunt of the protesters as stationary bogeys were set on fire at Bhabhua and Chhapra stations and window panes of compartments smashed at many places.

In Arrah, the railway station was swarmed by a large number of protesters who were dispersed after the police fired teargas shells. Questioning various provisions of the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme that envisages recruitment of soldiers on a short-term contractual basis, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Thursday said it will give rise to more disaffection among the youths and asked the government to make its stand clear.