Agnipath Row Highlights: Don't take law into your hands, Uttarakhand DGP tells youth

The ongoing anti-Agnipath scheme agitations on Saturday sparked protests in various parts of the country. Stay tuned for more updates.

Violent protests against 'Agnipath' scheme 'unacceptable': Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation on Saturday said violent protests against the Agnipath Scheme were 'unacceptable'. Addressing reporters, he said, “I have not looked at the (Agnipath) policy per se but whatever may be the policy, the violence you see is simply unacceptable."

NSUI workers protest against Agnipath scheme in Dehradun, burn effigies of Modi, Rajnath, Dhami

NSUI workers held a demonstration at the busy clock tower roundabout here on Saturday in protest against the Centre's Agnipath scheme for military recruitment.

Don't take law into your hands: Uttarakhand DGP to youth

Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar on Saturday appealed to the youth to maintain peace and not to take law into their hands as protests took place against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme in the state.

Agnipath protests, violence politically motivated, says Maharashtra BJP chief

The violent protests against Agnipath, the Centre's new military recruitment scheme, are politically motivated and registration of criminal cases against those indulging in arson and damaging public property will make it "extremely difficult" for them to get jobs in future, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said on Saturday.

369 trains cancelled due to Agnipath protests

The Railways cancelled 369 trains on Saturday due to the agitation against the Centre's recently announced Agnipath scheme for recruitment of soldiers in the armed forces, officials said.

Negative elements provoking youth against Agnipath scheme: Sajjan Jindal

Industrialist Sajjan Jindal on Saturday said negative elements in the society are provoking the country's youth against the Agnipath scheme.

Hundreds protest in Rajasthan against Agnipath

Hundreds of youths protested against the Agnipath scheme at various places in Rajasthan including Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jhunjhunu, and blocked the Jaipur-Delhi Highway in Alwar briefly.

More protests in Haryana, damage caused in Ludhiana railway station

The protests against theAgnipathscheme continued in Haryana with some youths setting a vehicle on fire outside Mahendergarh railway station on Saturday while a group of over 50 agitators barged inside Ludhiana railway station in Punjab causing damage to property.

Protests intensify over Agnipath military recruitment policy

Protesters in India's eastern state of Bihar damaged public property and ransacked offices in a railway station on Saturday to express outrage at a new military recruitment policy, demanding the government reverse course, officials said.

Rajnath okays proposal to reserve 10% vacancies in Defence Ministry for 'Agniveers'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday approved a proposal to reserve 10 per cent of the job vacancies in the defence ministry for 'Agniveers' who meet requisite eligibility criteria.

Funeral procession of youth killed in Secunderabad firing underway

The funeral procession of the youth killed in Friday's police firing at Secunderabad railway station was underway in Telangana's Warangal district amid shutdown and protest.

Amid protests, MHA announces 10% reservation for 'Agniveers' in CAPFs, Assam Rifles

In a bid to assuage concerns over the 'Agnipath' scheme, the home ministry Saturday announced to reserve 10 per cent vacancies in the Central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles for 'Agniveers', besides a three-year relaxation in the upper age limit.

RLD demands rollback of Agnipath, urges youth to hold 'Satyagraha' against govt

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on Saturday demanded that the Centre should rollback the Agnipath scheme and start recruitment to armed forces in the traditional manner, while urging youngsters to not engage in violence during demonstrations.

Punjab CM claims Agnipath scheme will 'dilute' Army's fighting ability; demands its rollback

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday demanded a rollback of the Agnipath recruitment scheme for defence services and said those who cleared physical tests in the last two years must get a chance to appear in written exams for joining the Army.

Sonia Gandhi appeals to youth to adopt peaceful, non-violent means to fight for their demands

Agnipath scheme will shatter our dreams, spoil our careers: Jharkhand army aspirants

An army aspirant from Jharkhand said he prepared for several years for the permanent service commissionand not for contractual employment of only four years.

"We were hopeful that the examination will be conducted soon as the pandemic situation is normal now. However, suddenly we see that the government has introduced this new Agnipath scheme, under which all examinations will be conducted," he told PTI.

He and other aspirants like him, along with hundreds of others, had staged protests against the Agnipath scheme in different parts of Dhanbad district on Friday. They had also blocked railway tracks, forcing railway authorities to cancel five trains.

Kerala youth hold protests, demand army recruitment exam

The ongoing protests over the Agnipathscheme sparked another form of protest in Kerala as hundreds of youths took out huge protest rallies in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode demanding to conduct the pending written examination for the army recruitment at the earliest.

The protesting youths were those who had already cleared their physical and medical fitness tests and had been waiting for their army Common Entrance Examination (CEE) for the last two years.

Youth organise protest against Agnipath scheme in Tamil Nadu

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hold meeting with service chiefs in Delhi

Train services in riot-hit Secunderabad resume

Train services at Secunderabad Railway Station, which witnessed arson and violence resulting in the death of a protester aspiring to join the armed forces, are limping back to normalcy, a senior official of the South Central Railway said on Saturday.

D Rakesh, a 24-year-old Army aspirant from Warangal district, died and several people were injured after security personnel opened fire on hundreds of agitators at the Secunderabad railway station here on Friday as the protests against the Centre's newAgnipathmilitary recruitment scheme escalated into large-scale violence and arson.

Stone pelting, violence erupts in Bihar's Jehanabad

Agitators protesting over the Agnipath scheme on Saturday set fire to a bus, truck and two other vehicles in Jehanabad.

The incident took place near the Tehta police outpost on the Patna-Gaya highway. The violent mob also pelted stones on a police party which led to a sub-inspector rank officer getting injured .

The injured sub-inspector was identified as Deeraj Kumar, incharge of the Tehta police outpost.

Following the violence, the Jehanabad DM and SP immediately rushed to the spot accompanied by a large number of police personnel and initiated lathi charge to disperse the agitators.

PM will have to take back Agnipath, warns Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to withdraw the farm laws, he will have to accept the demand of the youth and rollback the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme.

In a tweet in Hindi, Gandhi said, "I had said earlier also that the prime minister will have to withdraw the black farm laws."

"In the same manner, he will have to accept the demand of the youth of the country by becoming 'maafiveer' and take back the 'Agnipath' scheme," he said.

Home Ministry to absorb 'Agniveers' in central police forces, Assam Rifles

Congress to organise protest on Agnipath scheme at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday. All CWC members, MPs to join

MHA to reserve 10% vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles for Agniveers

6 FIRs registered in 4 districts in connection with protests over Agnipath scheme in Uttar Pradesh

The Railways cancelled 234 trains while 340 trains have been affected so far due to protests against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the defence services, the Railways said on Friday.

It said that 94 mail and express trains and 140 passenger trains have been cancelled due to the protests, while 65 mail and express and 30 passenger trains were partially cancelled.

The Railways has also diverted 11 mail and express trains. The total number of trains affected so far stands at 340, officials said.

Ashwini Vaishnaw appeals to agitators to not damage railway properties

A total of 260 people were arrested and six FIRs were lodged until Friday in Uttar Pradesh in connection with violent protests over the Centre's Agnipath scheme.

According to information provided by ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, the FIRs were lodged in Firozabad, Aligarh, Varanasi, and Gautam Buddh Nagar (1) districts.

Acting on the FIRs, 260 people were arrested by police from five districts.

Train stations, highways turn into battleground as youth fury over 'Agnipath' singes nation

Assurances by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Army chief failed to cut ice with hordes of angry youth, carrying bamboo sticks and stones, storming railway premises across cities and small towns and laying siege to highways, creating a security scare.

Over 300 trains have been affected and more than 200 cancelled so far due to the protests, the Railways said, reflecting the enormity of the agitation.

Coaches of seven trains have so far been set ablaze by protesters, officials said, adding carriages of three running trains in the East Central Railway (ECR), headquartered in Bihar's Hajipur, and one empty rake in Kulharia, also in the same zone, were damaged by protestors.