'Agnipath' protests at 17 places in UP, Aligarh police station set ablaze

Lucknow, June 17, 2022

Protests against the Agnipath scheme of recruitment in armed forces grew more virulent across Uttar Pradesh on Friday as protestors set ablaze the Jattari police station building and a police vehicle in Aligarh.

According to the police, protests have been reported from 17 locations across the state, including Varanasi, Firozabad Amethi, Ballia, Mathura, Agra and several other regions.

The protesting youths set a coach of an empty train on fire and vandalised some other trains in Ballia, Firozabad, and Varanasi.

Protests were also reported on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and the Yamuna Expressway near Noida. Four buses were damaged due to stone pelting on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

The vandalising of Ballia-Varanasi Memu and Ballia-Shahganj trains has gone viral on social media.

Uttar Pradesh Police's Additional Director-General (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar said that protests against the scheme are still going on at some places in Mathura. Senior officials are present at the spot and are trying to pacify all students and aspirants.

"We have also received some intelligence inputs that some organisations are further inciting it," he said.

In Aligarh, protesters set ablaze the tyres of a roadways bus near Tappal. Besides this, some incidents took place at other locations where police pacified the people on spot. The ADG said that strict monitoring is being done across the state.

IANS