Agnipath protests: Commuters stranded as several trains cancelled

New Delhi, June 18:  A large number of people wanting to travel by train from here were left stranded at the Railway Station on Saturday in the wake of Agnipath recruitment scheme protest.

People could be seen sitting wherever they found a place to lie down amidst a long wait for their trains. Several sat on the platform while many found a place next to the ticket counters.

According to the Indian Railways, 369 trains were cancelled on Saturday due to the protest against the Agneepath scheme. This included 210 mail and express trains and 159 local passenger trains.

The Union Cabinet had on Tuesday approved the 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces. The youth selected under this scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'. About 46,000 of them will be recruited this year.

However, the scheme, termed as a historic and transformative measure by the government, has met with unprecedented levels of agitations and protests in several states across India.

Earlier in the day, the Railway Police Force also carried out a flag march at the New Delhi Railway Station to keep anti-social elements away from causing hindrance to the normal functioning of the trains.

Two days ago, on June 16, a railway line was blocked and a train stopped when around 15-20 people gathered at railway station Nangloi and staged a protest against the Agnipath scheme.