Hyderabad: One person died and fifteen persons have reportedly received injuries after railway police open-fired at Agnipath protesters at Secunderabad Railway Station on Friday. The deceased is identified as Damodar from the Warangal district.
It is reported that before firing at the protesters, the railway police had not only used lathi-charge to disperse the mob but also warned them of opening fire.
In the firing, one of the protesters was severely injured. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.
Meanwhile, two constables were also injured in the protest.
Why protests broke out at Secunderabad Railway Station?
On Friday, a violent protest broke out at Secunderabad Railway Station against the Central government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment into the armed forces.
The situation on the first three platforms became tense after students set two bogies on fire during the protest. Students also pelted stones at buses.
Thousands of Army exam candidates who took part in the protest have expressed their anger and demanded the cancellation of the Agnipath scheme. They demanded that the army exam must be conducted as usual.
Trains cancelled
After witnessing a massive protest, authorities cancelled 71 trains of South Central Railway. Additional forces are also deployed to bring the situation back to normal.
Meanwhile, MMTS services are also cancelled due to the agitation at the Secunderabad railway station.
KTR reacts to protest
Reacting to the protest, Telangana minister KT Rama Rao wrote, “the violent protests against #AgniveerScheme is an eye-opener & acute indicator of the magnitude of the unemployment crisis in the country”.
In an apparent reference to now-repealed farms laws, he wrote, “Pehle Desh ke Kisan Ke Saath खिलवाड़ Aur Ab Desh ke Jawan Ke Saath खिलवाड़”.
Taunting centre, he wrote, “from One Rank One Pension to proposed No Rank – No Pension!”.
More details are awaited.
