Security has been beefed up in several states amid calls for India’s shutdown over the Centre’s new ad hoc recruitment policy for defense forces, Agnipath. Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) are on high alert.
Heavy security has led to massive traffic jams across Delhi-NCR. At the Sarhaul border on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway, a heavy traffic jam was reported as the Delhi Police started checking vehicles.
All schools closed in Jharkhand, security personnel deployed across the state in response to the Bharat Bandh call.
Security personnel has been deployed at Howrah Bridge, Santragachi Junction, Shalimar Railway Station, Howrah Station, and various places in Howrah.
Security has been beefed up at the Dakbungalow intersection in Patna.
Barbed wire has been installed at Vijayawada station in Andhra Pradesh in the call of Bharat Bandh.
22 major trains using East Central Railway have been cancelled.
Passengers were stranded at New Delhi and Gorakhpur railway stations as many trains were cancelled.
Normal life continued in Siliguri. Public transport including school buses is running on the road. Government offices are also open. However, security personnel have been deployed on the call of bandh.
Congress’s Ajay Maken said leaders of some political parties would meet the President in the evening to demand withdrawal of the Agnipath project.
The Agnipath scheme launched on June 14 provides for the recruitment of youths aged 17.5 to 21 years in the armed forces for just 4 years and 25 per cent of them to be retained for another 15 years.
