New Delhi: A school bus with some children on board got stuck in a road blockade in Darbhanga in Bihar which is facing the brunt of violent protests over new military recruitment policy, Agnipath. In a video shared by news agency ANI shot from inside the bus, children dressed in school uniform can be seen peeking outside.
One of the children can be seen crying and wiping off his tears while the person shooting the video asks him if he is scared and why he is scared. A woman can also be seen in the footage, presumably a teacher or caretaker, who tries to console the child.
Later with police intervention, the bus was able to clear its way out of the commotion.
Distressing visuals of violence and vandalism have surfaced from different parts of the state and other parts of the country as well over the new recruitment scheme.
The protesting aspirants in Bihar had set fire to two trains — New Delhi Bhagalpur Vikramshila Express in Lakhisarai and the New Delhi-Darbhanga Bihar Sampark Kranti Express in Samastipur. Demonstrators also blocked highways at several places in Buxar, Bhagalpur and Samastipur and burnt tyres while a mob attacked the home of BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi in Patna.
One person has been killed in police firing in Telangana’s Secunderabad — the first casualty of the protests — as the protestors torched a train, vandalised public property, and blocked tracks and highways.
Youths in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia also set fire to an empty train and vandalised few other trains which resulted in police lathi charge. Varanasi, Firozabad, and Amethi also saw protests resulting in vandalism of public buildings.
Protestors are unhappy with the short duration of the service and no provision of pension for those who would be released earlier. Age limit of 17.5 years to 21 years is another reason that protestors took to the streets against the move. On Thursday night, however, the government raised the upper age limit from 21 to 23 years.