Agnipath stir: Amid protests in Secunderabad, security beefed up at Railway stations

Hyderabad, Jun 17: The protest against the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme relating to recruitment in the armed forces spread to the South on Friday when unidentified miscreants went on the rampage at the Secunderabad Railway station, setting on fire a parcel coach of a passenger train.

One person was injured after the railway police opened fire to contain the situation at the Secunderabad Railway Station in Hyderabad on Friday.

With instructions from the superiors, the railway police personnel opened about 15 rounds of fire injuring a person on the leg, below the knee. He was immediately shifted to the hospital for treatment. Two police constables too were injured in the stone pelting. It is reported that before firing at the protesters, the railway police had not only used lathi-charge to disperse the mob but also warned them of opening fire.

The agitators shouted slogans against the Centre demanding normal recruitment of army jobs, South Central Railway sources said.

A violent protest broke out at Secunderabad Railway Station on Friday against the Central government's 'Agnipath' scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.

The agitators, numbering about 300-350, pelted stones and set a parcel coach of a passenger train on fire, they said.

Some stalls in the railway station suffered damage, they said.

The agitators pulled out cargo from the parcel coach and dumped it on the tracks and set fire leading to disruption of some train services.

The identity of the agitators was yet to be established, they said.

Due to agitation at Secunderabad Railway Station, the South Central Railway (SCR) has on Friday cancelled MMTS services.

Security intensified at railway stations

Following the incident, security at all railway stations in the city was beefed up. Personnel of Armed Reserve and Telangana State Special Police were deployed at important railway stations like Kachiguda, Hyderabad (Nampally), Ghatkesar, Medchal, Lingampally and Falaknuma.

The local police are assisting the Railway Protection Force and the Government railway police. Armed police pickets are deployed at all the railway stations.

There were widespread protests in some parts of the country on Thursday demanding the centre to roll back 'Agnipath' scheme unveiled by the Ministry of Defence which is a pan-India merit-based recruitment scheme for enrolling soldiers, airmen and sailors. Trains were set afire, public and police vehicles attacked and personnel injured as protests over 'Agnipath' snowballed and swept across several states including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on Thursday.

Under the scheme, young persons will be provided an opportunity to serve in the armed forces as 'Agniveer' for a period of four years, including training period.