Patna : Train operations were again disrupted due to protests against the Agneepath Defense Recruitment Scheme and on Monday too, the Railways had to cancel more than 600 trains. Out of the affected 612 trains, 602 trains were cancelled, including 223 mail and express trains and 379 passenger trains. 350 trains passing through Sonpur, Samastipur, Danapur, Pt Deendayal Upadhyay and Dhanbad divisions of East Central Railway have been cancelled.
In Delhi, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers stop a train at Shivaji Bridge railway station near Connaught Place to press for their demand to withdraw the Agneepath Defense Recruitment Scheme. Sources said that the police and security personnel cleared the railway track and after about half an hour train movement resumed.
A senior police official said several protesters were detained as policemen tried to clear the protesters from the tracks and the station. Youth Congress President Srinivas BV said, ‘The government needs to withdraw the Agniveer scheme. Youth Congress will fight for those unemployed youth who want to serve the country. IYC members also protested at nearby Connaught Place.
An NFR official said the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has canceled or rescheduled at least 26 trains due to violent agitation against the ‘Agneepath’ scheme and floods at several places in Assam. NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi Dey said that apart from the trains that were canceled on Monday, five other trains have also been canceled for Tuesday. He said that due to the violent agitation against ‘Agneepath’ in Bihar, trains going north from Guwahati were mostly canceled or their schedule changed. During the demonstration in Bihar, coaches were burnt by protesters and railway properties were damaged.