As violent protests rage in Bihar over the new military recruitment policy, Agnipath, distressing visuals of vandalism and chaotic disruption of rail and road traffic continue to pour in. In one such incident, news agency ANI tweeted a video of a school bus, with children on board, that got stuck in the road blockade by agitators in Darbhanga.
The video clip, shot from inside the bus, shows children in school uniforms peering through the windows at the protests outside. One of the children can be seen weeping and trying to wipe his tears as the person shooting the video repeatedly asks whether he is scared, and what's scaring him. A woman, presumably a teacher accompanying the students, asks him to get off the bus.
The bus later managed to get out of the blockade with Police intervention, ANI said.
Earlier today, the house of Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi was attacked in Bettiah in West Champaran district amid protests against the new recruitment scheme that has set off a firestorm. "Such type of violence is very dangerous for the society. The protesters should remember that this is a loss for the society," Ms Devi, who is currently in Patna, told NDTV. Bihar has borne the brunt of the violence which began on Wednesday.
Two coaches of the Jammu Tawi Express train were set on fire in Bihar's Samastipur district, officials told NDTV, adding no one was hurt in the incident. A BJP office was also attacked in the Lakhisarai district. A mob set fire to the Islampur-Hatia express train which was stationed at the Islampur station in Nalanda. Three AC coaches are completely burnt down and several other coaches have been damaged.
The government unveiled Agnipath on Tuesday -- calling it a "transformative" scheme-- for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.
Protesters are unhappy with the changes, particularly the length of service, no pension provisions for those released early, and the 17.5 to 21-year age restriction that now makes many of them ineligible.
After widespread protests, the government raised the age limit for Agnipath recruitment to 23 from 21 as a "one-time waiver".
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