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Agnipath Protest Latest Update: The Indian Railways suspended several train services in Bihar as the protests over the Centre’s Agnipath scheme continued to intensify in the state. Authorities said the train services have been stopped in Bihar till 8 PM today and will be suspended again at 4 AM tomorrow till 8 PM as the state continued to reel under the worst outbreak of violence over the ‘Agnipath’ military recruitment scheme.
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has cancelled and short terminated several trains due to nationwide protests against the ‘Agnipath’ military recruitment scheme.
At least six trains have been cancelled for agitation at several places. These include the Puri-Patna Express on Saturday and the Puri-Ajmer Express on Monday.
The ECoR partially cancelled at least 10 trains, including the Godavari Express from Hyderabad that will end its journey at Duvvada near Visakhapatnam. At least eight passing-through train will bypass Visakhapatnam and run via Simhachalam North and Duvvada, it added.
The massive protests against Agnipath’ left Bihar in flames when rampaging mobs set fire to dozens of railway coaches, engines and stations and torched BJP offices, vehicles and other property, prompting the police to suspend internet services in nearly a third of the state.
On Friday, Bihar had suspended Internet services in 12 out of 38 districts in the state. “As a precautionary measure, we have suspended internet services in 12 out of 38 districts in the state which have been identified as the worst affected ones ,” one official told PTI.
The East Central Railway zone, which is headquartered at Hajipur, said the number of railway coaches set afire by the mobs was more than 60 , in addition to 10 engines.
The burnt coaches included practically the entire rake of Bhagalpur-bound Vikramshila Express coming from Anand Vihar Terminus which was attacked at Lakhisarai station.
Railway sources and the Lakhisarai administration asserted that all passengers had alighted and nobody suffered burn injuries though unconfirmed reports said that one of them suffered a shock and died soon after alighting.
The disturbances resulted in a major security crisis, forcing cancellation of 214 express/mail/passenger trains and short-termination of another 78 , ECR Chief Public Relations Officer Virendra Kumar said in a statement.
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