Expressway bears brunt, buses, police outpost set afire in Aligarh
AGRA/LUCKNOW: A police outpost was set ablaze in the Jattari area and roadways buses were burnt in the Tappal area of Aligarh as protests by youths against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme continued.
The Yamuna Expressway and the Agra-Delhi National Highway 2 bore the brunt of the protests which also affected rail transport leading to the cancellation of over two dozen trains and short-termination of others.
Vehicles of police and district administration were targeted, too. A number of policemen, including the circle officer at Khair in Aligarh, were injured in stone-pelting by protestors.
Traffic on the Agra- Delhi National Highway 2 and the Agra-Noida Yamuna Expressway remained affected all through the day on Friday because of protests.
A handful of protestors reached Agra- Lucknow Expressway at 5am on Friday and damaged the windscreens of roadways buses under the Matsena police station limits in Firozabad district.
Firozabad SSP Ashish Tiwari, along with police force, reached the spot and alternative transport arrangement was made for stranded passengers.
Job aspirants climbed onto Yamuna Expressway in Aligarh’s Tappal around noon, damaging vehicles of police and administration, besides buses of Haryana and UP Roadways.
Passengers were asked to get down from roadways buses, some of which were set afire while others were damaged.
The police and administrative officers rushed to the spot but had to face resistance. Circle officer (Khair) and his gunner were injured in stone-pelting.
The protestors then reached Jattari police outpost and set it ablaze.
Rumours about closure of the 165-km Yamuna Expressway linking Agra with Noida continued all through the day but there was no official confirmation.
Protestors blocked the Yamuna Expressway at Bajna in Mathura district.
Angry protestors also blocked Mathura Bharatpur road and a bus from Haryana roadways was torched. These protestors damaged other vehicles, too, and after being chased by police, moved to the BharatpurMathura railway track.
Though Agra district was not much affected, the wind screen of a police was damaged in stone-pelting on Agra-Gwalior highway.
Superintendent of police (Rural) Satyajeet Gupta reached the spot with police force and situation was brought under control.
Pankaj Singh, chief public relation officer North Eastern Railways (NER), said, “In the wake of the violence reported in many areas of Uttar Pradesh, the trains heading towards the affected areas have been cancelled, while a few have been short terminated.”
Singh said the trains that have been cancelled include Varanasi-Chhapra, ChhapraAurihar, Ballia-Varanasi, Azamgarh-Varanasi, Prayagraj Rambagh-Mau, Mau-Prayagraj Rambagh, Thave-Chhapra Kacheri, Chhapra-Varanasi, Thave-Masrakh, Masrakh-Thave, VaranasiBallia and Banaras- Patna Express.
Other than this, 15 trains have been short- terminated at various railway stations, and they will resume their journey towards their respective destinations once the situation improves.
Amit Malviya, PRO of North Central Railway (NCR) said, “Around half-a-dozen trains have been short- terminated at various places, and as the situation is becoming normal, the trains are being sent towards their respective destinations.”
Malviya informed that no train of the NCR has been cancelled.