New Delhi: Following the protest against the Agnipath scheme of the central government in many parts of the country, over 34 trains were cancelled and eight more partially cancelled on Thursday, said Indian Railways. There is strong opposition to this scheme in many parts of the country including Bihar, Haryana, and Uttarakhand. In Bihar, the protesting people have even set the train on fire. Stone pelting also took place at many places, in which many police personnel were also injured.
According to the news received from Railway Ministry, so far 34 trains have been canceled due to the protest against the Agnipath scheme. These include 5 mail and express trains, while 29 are passenger trains. The final figure for the whole day could be bigger. Out of these canceled trains, 22 trains canceled by East Central Railway are also included.
Apart from the cancellation of 34 trains, 8 trains have also been partially cancelled. Apart from these, there are about 72 such trains, which are stuck due to the protest. That is, these 72 trains are running late from their scheduled time.
Apart from Bihar, demonstrations against Agnipath are also becoming fierce in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The central government had launched the Agneepath scheme on Wednesday. The protesters are calling the scheme a contractual practice and demanding its withdrawal. Many trains of East Central Railway are affected due to these protests. Many trains are affected in Danapur, Samastipur, Sonpur and DDU divisions on Thursday due to the protest.
The protesters told the police filled up forms for some government examinations however the exams were not held and they have become over-aged at this point. The protesters were conciliated and scattered by the police around early afternoon.