Security has been beefed up at many places amid Bharat Bandh-call by some organisations on Monday to mark their protest against the Agnipath recruitment scheme announced by the Centre last week.

In Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala, police has been deployed at key locations to prevent any untoward incidents.

In view of the protests, over 80 trains have been cancelled in various parts of the country.

According to Northern Railways, a total of 18 East-bound train services scheduled from different Northern Railway terminals have been cancelled today, and as many as 71 Delhi area-bound commuter trains (including return services) have also been dismissed for today in the wake of the protests against the Centre’s Agnipath recruitment scheme.

Train services of the Western Railway zone were affected Sunday as well.
Besides, security was also tightened at various locations in the Howrah district of West Bengal.

“Police force has been deployed at multiple locations. We are ready to tackle any kind of situation that may arise. We also urge the youth to not get involved in any untoward activity,” Anupam Singh, DCP North, Howrah told reporters

In Jharkhand, schools were ordered to remain shut and the ongoing examinations of class 9 and 11 have been postponed.

Major traffic jams were reported en route to Noida, where Section 144 has been imposed, and Gurgaon at Delhi’s borders amid increased security checks by the police.

Security personnel have been deployed at various locations in Ranchi amid protests against the Army recruitment scheme

With the Uttar Pradesh police is conducting security checks at the border, heavy traffic has been reported on the Delhi-Noida link road at the Chilla border.

Security was ramped up with additional forces and barbed wires at the Vijaywada railway station on Monday amid calls for Bharat Bandh. Forces have been deployed at key locations across the Vijaywada city in Andhra Pradesh

With police forces on alert amid calls for Bharat Bandh, a major traffic snarl was reported at the Sarhaul border on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway.

Passengers were left stranded at the Gorakhpur Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh after trains were cancelled amid calls for a Bharat Bandh on Monday.

Protests erupted in various states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand and Assam after the Agnipath scheme was announced on June 14.

Taking to Twitter, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday, “Tomorrow lakhs of Congress workers across the country will continue peaceful protests against the anti-youth Agnipath scheme and against Modi government’s vendetta politics targeting its MP Rahul Gandhi.”

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai is also supposed to join the protest.

“A joint movement will be organized at Jantar Mantar in Delhi at 11 am on June 20 against the Agnipath scheme,” Rai had said in a tweet.