1 killed as Agnipath protest in Secunderabad turns violent, police open fire

The protests against the centre's Agnipath scheme have on Friday morning spread to the Secunderabad railway station, one of the major junctions in the country.

A few coaches of the halted trains were set on fire by the aspirants agitated by the new recruitment process for the Army, as announced by the defence minister Rajnath Singh earlier this week.

The mob also pelted stones at the railway property and police. The police tried to quell the mob with lathi-charge and tear gas but had to resort to firing as the situation went out of control.

At least one person was reported dead while a few injured youth were taken to the nearby government Gandhi Hospital.

Two coaches of the Ajanta Express were burnt, and parcel items including a few bikes were also gutted in the fire. Glass window paces of some AC coaches were also shattered. Passengers sitting inside ran for safety leaving their belongings.

“You can see the destruction here but who would notice our pain? We have been waiting for about two years now for the recruitment exam which was canceled several times because of reasons like Covid-19. And now suddenly they announce a new scheme which disqualifies us because of age etc factors,” an aspirant told reporters.

The protestors had earlier stopped the trains, raising slogans against the centre's move. “Justice for Army aspirants” read one of their banners.

“We had come here to express our problems (but things went out of control),” another youth said.

Horrified passengers ran helter-skelter even as the police and railway officials tried to bring the situation under control. The station with 10 platforms and bustling with crowds all the time wore a deserted look in minutes.

Secunderabad is the headquarters of the South Central Railway and also has a vast army cantonment area.

Meanwhile, SCR officials have convened an urgent meeting to assess the situation. They have announced the cancellation of the local MMTS train services for the day. Some long-distance trains are either diverted or cancelled.

Security was beefed up at the Nampally and other railway stations in the city.