Violence in India's Bihar state over 'Agnipath' scheme

Protests in India against Agnipath, a radical recruitment plan for the country's armed forces, turned violent on Thursday (16 June) as Army aspirants disrupted rail and road traffic in several parts of Bihar for the second consecutive day.

Baton-wielding protestors smashed glass windows of the intercity express train at Bhabhua Road railway station and set one coach on fire. Holding a banner saying "Indian Army lovers," they raised slogans rejecting the new recruitment scheme, reports the NDTV. 

At the railway station in Arrah, police had to resort to tear gas shelling to disperse a huge crowd of protestors who pelted stones at the police.

Visuals showed railway staff using fire extinguishers to put out a fire caused by protesters throwing furniture on the tracks and setting them alight.

In Jehanabad, a town located in the Indian state of Bihar, students pelted stones injuring several people including cops who chased them away to clear the railway tracks where they had camped to disrupt rail traffic.

Dramatic visuals from the railway station showed the police and protesting students pelting stones at each other. Police also pointed their guns at the protesters to scare them away.

In Nawada, groups of young men burnt tyres at a public crossing and raised slogans demanding the rollback of the tour of duty scheme. They also blocked the railway tracks at the Nawada station and burnt tyres on the track.

Agnipath, the tour of duty scheme, proposes the recruitment of jawans on a contractual basis for a four-year period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits. The new recruitment plan aims to cut down the government's massive salary and pension bills and free up funds for arms procurement. 

Violent mobs could also be seen in Chapra, carrying heavy wooden sticks and smashing state roadways buses in protest. 

Protests have been reported from several parts of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh as well.