Protests continued in Rajasthan for the third consecutive day against the 'Agnipath' scheme launched by the Centre for short-term recruitment in the armed forces.
Students blocked the Jaipur-Agra railway track in Bharatpur on Friday morning, where they clashed with the police and even pelted stones. Similar demonstrations were staged in many other districts.
In one incident, a youth preparing for the army in Alwar tried to commit suicide but timely intervention by his friends saved his life.
The protest started from Bharatpur where a large number of youth sat on the railway tracks and started raising slogans against the Centre. When the police tried to arrest them, the youth pelted stones on them. Later, the police fired tear gas shells to disperse the youth.
In Sikar, hundreds of youth preparing for getting into the army raised slogans against the Central government and also burnt the effigy of the Prime Minister. The demonstration turned violent in Sikar's Neemkathana, where the protesters ransacked a roadways bus.
In Kota, several youth took out a protest rally against the scheme, while many held similar demonstrations in Jaipur as well.
When the youth who were protesting in Alwar's Bibirani were chased away by the police, the protesters pelted stones on the cops.
Meanwhile, Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal said that the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) stands with the youth in their protest against the Centre's decision to implement the Agnipath scheme.
Beniwal also tweeted that it is wrong on the part of the police to arrest the students protesting against the short-term recruitment scheme.
