Over 500 trains were canceled and heavy traffic jams were witnessed in Delhi-NCR on Monday due to the Bharat Bandh call by some organizations to protest against the Agneepath recruitment scheme.
Protests are going on in many parts of the country against the Centre’s Agneepath scheme for defense recruitment as the chiefs of the three services have refused to withdraw the scheme.
Indian Youth Congress workers stop a train at Shivaji Bridge railway station near Connaught Place in Delhi to protest against the Agneepath defense recruitment scheme and the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED. Sources said police and security personnel cleared the track and train movement resumed after about half an hour.
A senior police officer said several protesters were detained as police personnel tried to clear them from the track and station. “The government needs to withdraw the Agniveer scheme. Youth Congress will fight for the unemployed youth of this country who want to serve the country,” Youth Congress President Srinivas Biwi told reporters. IYC members also protested at nearby Connaught Place.
Over 500 trains were canceled and operations again disrupted across the country on Monday due to protests against the Agneepath Defense Recruitment Scheme. Railways said in a statement that 539 trains were affected, 529 trains were cancelled, including 181 mail/express trains and 348 passenger trains. Railways have also partially canceled four Mail/Express trains.
Security has been beefed up in several states to protest against the Agneepath scheme. In view of the violence that took place last week, other states including West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand have increased security.
Several roads were closed by the traffic police in view of the bandh, leading to heavy traffic jams in some parts of Delhi. Heavy traffic jams were witnessed at Delhi-Noida-Delhi Flyway, Meerut Expressway, Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan, Pragati Maidan and Delhi-Gurugram border.
Long queues of slow moving vehicles were seen in these areas. Some passengers took to Twitter to share their plight. However, the Delhi Traffic Police said that their teams have been deployed at various places to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
Parts of Haryana witnessed more protests against Agneepath on Monday as candidates of the armed forces blocked roads and demanded the withdrawal of the scheme. In Fatehabad, a group of youths blocked Lal Batti Chowk, while several others took to the streets in Rohtak district to protest.
The Congress on Sunday announced that lakhs of party workers would continue their peaceful protest on Monday against the “anti-youth” Agneepath scheme and the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) questioning of Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case.
The Agneepath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youth in the armed forces in the age group of 17-and-a-half to 21 years only for four years, of which 25 per cent is to be retained for 15 more years. ,
Traffic Police advised commuters to avoid Motilal Nehru Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath and Man Singh Road between 8 am to 12 noon. The ED probe against Gandhi, which appeared before the agency for the fourth time on Monday, pertains to alleged financial irregularities in Congress-promoted Young Indian Pvt Ltd, which owns the National Herald newspaper.
The newspaper is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited.
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