Agnipath row: Special security arrangements at Ludhiana railway station

A day after violence erupted at the Ludhiana railway station amid protest against the Centre's Agnipath scheme, Ludhiana Police on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday took stock of Ludhiana railway station.

In a conversation with ANI on Sunday night, Ludhiana Commissioner of Police (CP) Kaustubh Sharma said, "In view of the tensions prevailing in the state right after the announcement of the Agnipath scheme, we have made special arrangements at the station for Monday morning."

"We have done special deployment of Rapid Action Force. Many people have been arrested. We are taking action against those involved in the incident that took place on June 19," the police official said.

Protesting against the Agnipath scheme, a group of youths went on a rampage in Ludhiana, Saturday, as they stormed inside the railway station and vandalised property. Before damaging the property at the railway station, they also damaged a police vehicle near Durga Mata Mandir, said the local police.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police has been directed to be on alert in view of the possible Bharat Bandh today against the newly launched Agnipath Scheme for recruitment in the military, informed the officials on Sunday.

Instructions were also given to increase security around all the big military coaching institutes of Punjab.

The decision comes after various parts of the country witnessed protests against the scheme of the government while some states reported violent incidents.

Earlier, Faridabad police had tightened security amid a call for a Bharat bandh.

"All preparations related to security arrangements have been completed by the Faridabad Police in terms of law and order on the call for Bharat Bandh. Law and order in Faridabad is completely tight. For this, elaborate security arrangements were made by putting up various police checkpoints in Faridabad," said the police on Sunday.

All schools in Jharkhand will remain closed on Monday in the wake of the "Bharat Bandh" called by certain organisations, the state education officials informed.

Secretary of Education Department, Rajesh Sharma, said the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure.

"In the wake of the Bharat Bandh called by certain organizations, all schools in Jharkhand will remain closed tomorrow, June 20. The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure," Sharma, said.

The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.