Agnipath protests: houses of Bihar deputy CM, state BJP chief attacked

The agitation against the Agnipath scheme continued for a third day on Friday, with protesters targeting the houses of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi and Bihar BJP president and West Champaran MP Dr Sanjay Jaiswal. 

Bihar deputy chief minister Renu Devi's house was attacked in Bihar's Bettiah district.

News agency ANI quoted her son as saying that their residence in Bettiah was attacked and they suffered a lot of damage.

The agitators have been unrelenting and even targeted the residence of Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, also in Bettiah. In the assault, one policeman deployed near his residence was also injured and hospitalised. 

“The large-scale violence and arson is a handiwork of goons instigated by the opposition parties. What else explains targeted attacks on BJP leaders? My house in Bettiah town was attacked. Window panes and a car parked inside got damaged. Thankfully, none of those inside was injured. Petrol pump owned by a brother of Sanjay Jaiswal (state party president) has also been vandalised,” Renu Devi told PTI.

Also watch: Agnipath protest: Bihar on edge, widescale arson for third day

Railway services were disrupted across the country as protesters blocked tracks and set train coaches ablaze in several states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Telangana.  

In Telangana, one protester lost his life while several others were injured, after the police allegedly opened fire on a mob at Secunderabad railway station as protests against the Agnipath scheme escalated into large-scale violence and arson.

with PTI inputs