Jams At Delhi Borders Amid Checks Over Bharat Bandh, 'Agnipath' Protests

The Delhi-Gurugram Expressway on Monday saw heavy traffic jams following a call for Bharat Bandh against the military recruitment scheme- Agnipath- by some organisations demanding a rollback of the scheme.

Long queues of slow-moving vehicles were seen on the expressway near the Sarhaul border as Delhi Police checked vehicles. Massive traffic jams were also witnessed at Delhi-Noida-Delhi flyway, Meerut Expressway, Anand Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan and Pragati Maidan.

The Delhi Traffic Police, however, said their teams have been deployed at various spots to ensure smooth flow of traffic, informing commuters about road closures.

Inward movement of buses has been restricted in New Delhi beyond Gol Dak Khana Junction, Patel Chowk, Windsor Place, Teen Murti Chowk and Prithviraj Road and the traffic police has also advised commuters to avoid Motilal Nehru Marg, Akbar Road, Janpath and Man Singh Road between 8 am and 12 pm.

Opposition parties, including Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, will stage protests against the Agnipath scheme at Jantar Mantar in Delhi today.

Protests erupted in several states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana during the past four days against Centre's Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of soldiers between 17.5 and 23 years in the armed forces for a four-year period, followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.

The protests have been violent in some parts of the country resulting in the railways cancelling at least 483 trains on Sunday.

The government has stood its ground over the scheme with the three services of the military announcing a broad schedule of enrollment under the new policy yesterday.