Indian Youth Congress workers on Monday stopped a train at the Shivaji Bridge railway station near Connaught Place in the national capital to push for their demand for a rollback of the 'Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme.
The track was cleared by police and security personnel and train movement resumed after about half an hour, sources said.
Several protesters were detained as police personnel tried to remove them from the tracks and the station, a senior police official added.
"The government needs to rollback the 'Agnipath' scheme. Youth Congress will fight for the unemployed youth who want to serve the country," Youth Congress president Srinivas BV told reporters.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) have sounded high alert amid calls for Bharat Bandh on Monday over the Centre’s new short-term recruitment policy for the defence forces, Agnipath.
The RPF’s senior officers have issued an internal communication statement asking all units to deal with rioters strictly. The policemen have been asked to book rioters under stringent sections of the IPC.
Bihar police registered 145 FIRs and arrested 804 protesters on Sunday for indulging in violence and vandalism during the June 16 to 18 protests against the government’s Agnipath scheme.
The protests comes a day after the defence ministry made it clear that the Agnipath recruitment scheme won't be rolled back.
"Why should it be rolled back? It is the only progressive step to making the armed forces young. It is a question of protecting the country," Lieutenant General Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, said yesterday.
Lt General Puri also said that anyone involved in protests, arson and vandalism against the scheme would not qualify to join the three services under the new model.
(with inputs from agencies)
