Agnipath protests: Youth Congress workers stop train in Delhi

Amid ongoing protests across the country against the Agnipath scheme, the members of Youth Congress stopped a train at Delhi’s Shivaji Bridge.

Chanting slogans, some of the protesting Youth Congress workers climbed on the trains while some blocked the tracks demanding the rollback of the Agnipath scheme.

“The government of India needs to rollback Agniveer scheme. The Youth Congress will fight for the Unemployed youth of this country who want to serve the country and arm its forces,” a statement from the Youth Congress read.

This comes as the Railway Police deployed heavy personnel at railway stations in the capital to ensure safe movement of people amid the ongoing protests against the Agnipath scheme.

“Amid calls over Bharat Bandh, security arrangements strengthened at Nizamuddin Railway station to ensure safety of people, & Railway property. Train movements not disrupted… Passengers are comfortably departing & arriving,” AP Joshiya, Assistant Security Commissioner, RPF, told news agency ANI.

The protests comes a day after the defence ministry made it clear that the Agnipath recruitment scheme won’t be rolled back. “Why should it be rolled back? It is the only progressive step to making the armed forces young. It is a question of protecting the country,” Lieutenant General Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, said yesterday.

Lt General Puri also said that anyone involved in protests, arson and vandalism against the scheme would not qualify to join the three services under the new model.

He also said that supportive measures announced in the last few days for the recruits under the scheme were not initiated because of the protests and arson and that the government was already working on them as part of overall measures to ensure employment for those who exit the services after the four-year stint.