Train compartments set on fire as violence continues

As anti-Agnipath scheme protests continue two compartments of the Jammu Tawi Express on the Hajipur-Baruni track at Hahidin Nagar Railway Station in Bihar were set on fire. However, passengers are reportedly safe.. The violence that started in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states has now spread to Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Tension continues to rage following day-long violent incidents on Thursday.

Aara in Bihar, Balwal in Haryana, Agra in Uttar Pradesh, and Gwalior and Indhur in Madhya Pradesh have been considered sensitive. However it was in Bihar that the train compartments were burnt, glass windows of vehicles were damaged and tires were burnt on the roads. Train services have been disrupted due to the continuing violence..On Thursday a group of youth wielding wooden weapons entered the Bahubuva Railway Station and broke the glass window screens of the inter-city express.

They also torched a train. Holding a banner with a slogan, " Lovers of Indian Army" the group of youth raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme.A group of arsonists who entered a Railway Station in Baliya District in Uttar Pradesh ransacked a train and damaged installations in the station. The police have arrested a few of them.The Agnipath scheme was announced with the idea of reducing the expenditure on defense \staff pensions. The Central Government approved the scheme recently.

According to the scheme, the selected army cadets will work on a 4 years contract. 25 percent of them will be retained for 15 years and the others will be given a one-time settlement of Rs 11 to Rs 12 lakhs without any pension.Agnipath's scheme has drawn criticism from many quarters. Defense aspirants have begun a protest against the scheme in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana. 
They are demanding the scrapping of the scheme. Meanwhile, the Central Government has increased the entry age for defense service to 23 years.