Trail of fiery slogans, blockades and arson blazes through 7 states

As Agnipath Protests Spread, Centre Tweaks Rules To Douse Fire

The Centre's Agnipath scheme to recruit youth to the armed forces for an initial period of four years blazed a trail of fiery protests across states Thursday, with Bihar reporting arson and attacks on BJP offices along with blockades for the second consecutive day, and parts of UP, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal, Bengal and Jharkhand joining in the mayhem.

The agitation that had started in Bihar's Buxar, Begusarai and Muzaffarpur on Wednesday with the viral chant of "Vardi do ya arthi do (give us uniforms or let us die)" spread to 17 districts of the state, plunging road and rail communication into a network of disruptions. Protesters, most of them seemingly young job-seekers, blocked trains on the PatnaGaya and Patna-Buxar routes and stalled highway traffic in Begusarai and Jehanabad.

A BJP office was set ablaze and the vehicle of party MLA Aruna Devi attacked in NawaDr C N da. Party legislator Gupta's residence was vandalised at Chhapra in Saran.

Anti-Agnipath mob ransacks BJP office in Bihar, sets bogies on fire

2 Cops Hurt As 12 Trains Pelted With Stones