Agnipath protests: Haryana govt suspends internet services in Mahendragarh

In view of potential law and order situation, the Haryana government on Friday ordered the temporary suspension of mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), all SMS services, except the voice calls in the territorial jurisdiction of Mahendragarh district with immediate effect till 4:30pm tomorrow.

The agitation against the Centre's Agnipath scheme continued for the second consecutive day in Haryana. Protests erupted at Hero Honda Chowk in the Narnaul of Haryana's Mahendragarh district on Friday.

Police in Narnaul had to chase away the agitators and detain a few of them.

The protestors vandalised the police barricades, which had been put on the roads of Narnaul, following which Section 144, restricting the gathering of more than four persons, was clamped in the area.

The state government, on Thursday, put in place the prohibitory orders in Palwal, while internet services were suspended in Faridabad district's Ballabgarh.

Earlier on Thursday, people had hit the streets in Haryana's Palwal against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of youths to defence services.

Following this, the police personnel had deployed at the DC residence in Palwal resorted to aerial firing to warn protesters who were pelting stones at the residence.

Several police vehicles were torched, several roadways buses were damaged in stone-pelting and the National Highway 19 was also blocked. The Police had used tear gas shells and fired in the air to control the mob in Palwal.

The violent agitation against the Agnipath scheme is happening in Bihar and Telangana.

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

On June 14, the Union Cabinet approved an attractive recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces. The scheme is called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers. Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years.

With inputs from ANI