Bharat Bandh amid Agneepath protests LIVE: Bihar suspends Internet services in 20 districts, security heightened | India News
Bharat Bandh Agneepath Protests Live Updates: Amid a call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Monday (June 20, 2022) over the Agneepath scheme, several state governments have tightened their security. The Bihar government temporarily suspended Internet services in 20 districts. The armed forces aspirants have been agitating in 11 states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand and Assam. Massive protests erupted last week after the Union government announced the contentious Agneepath scheme to recruit youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces. The central government has also been defending the scheme, explaining that recruits, or ‘Agniveers’, retiring after four years will be given financial aid.
“Due to agitation over the Agnipath scheme, 181 Mail Express cancelled and 348 passenger trains cancelled. Partially cancelled are 4 Mail Express and 6 passenger trains. No diverted trains,” said Ministry of Railways on Monday. As many as 483 train services were cancelled on Sunday due to protests in different parts of the country against the Centre’s Agneepath scheme. Congress will also hold “peaceful” protests across the country on Monday against the “anti-youth” Agneepath recruitment scheme. Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai too will join the protest.
In Delhi`s neighbouring areas Faridabad and Noida, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which prohibits the assembly of four or more persons, has been imposed. In Rajasthan`s Jaipur, prohibitory orders under section 144 have been imposed from 6 pm on Sunday till midnight of August 18 in the view of the possibility of disturbance to law and order due to the protests.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army yesterday released terms and conditions and related details for prospective applicants wanting to join the force under the Agneepath military recruitment scheme. The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agneepath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.
