GOVT CLARIFIES, OPPN ATTACKS

New Delhi: Protests against Armed Forces’ new recruitment plan Agnipath turned violent Thursday as aspirants disrupted rail and road traffic in several parts of Bihar, Haryana, New Delhi, Jammu and Jharkhand. Agnipath is Central Govt’s new recruitment policy for the defence forces under which about 45,000 people between age of 17.5 years and 21 years will be inducted into services for a four-year tenure.

Due to demonstrations and vandalism at several railway stations, 22 trains from Bihar had to be cancelled and 5 had to stop after completing partial journeys, East Central Railway said. In Nawada, the vehicle of BJP MLA Aruna Devi, was attacked by the agitators who hurled stones at her car, leaving 5 persons, including legislator, injured. The BJP office in Nawada was also vandalized.