Agnipath protests: Coaching centres played role in violence, says official

Amid the ongoing protests against the Agnipath Scheme across the country, an official in Patna on Saturday said that the role of coaching centres was found during questioning of those arrested for violence and arson in the city.

The protests against the scheme turned violent in parts of the country including Bihar. At least three trains were set ablaze on Thursday.

Speaking to ANI, the District Magistrate of Patna, Chandrashekhar Singh said that WhatsApp messages that were provocative in nature were found in the phones of the arrested people.

"We are on complete alert. The people are being identified through video footage. We have found out about the role of seven-to-eight coaching centres through WhatsApp messages from those arrested. These messages were of provocative nature," he said.

Singh said an FIR was filed against 170 people, out of whom 46 were arrested for vandalism at Danapur railway station.

The Patna DM said security forces have been deployed at various places spots in Patna.

However, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad said that the situation was getting back to normal again and appealed to the protestors to maintain peace.

"Situation is getting normal again. Vandalism & arson incidents are unfortunate. The Centre has made a good scheme for youth, it'll provide them many benefits. We appeal to the people of Bihar to maintain peace," Prasad said.

Meanwhile, students' organisations in Bihar, led by the All India Students' Association, have called a 24-hour Bihar bandh today, demanding an immediate rollback of the new recruitment scheme in the military launched this week by the government.

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RJD has lent its support to the bandh call; former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manji, whose Hindustan Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) is an ally of the BJP, said that while his party did not support the violence, it would support the Bihar bandh call in the interest of the youth.

Protesters allegedly attacked the houses of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi and Bihar BJP president and West Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal.

Railway traffic was also blocked, and train coaches were set ablaze in several states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana. Railways have cancelled over 200 trains so far.

• India