Agnipath Row: High Alert At Andhra Pradesh

A red alert was sounded at all key railway stations across Andhra Pradesh on Friday following violence that rocked the Secunderabad and other railway stations in various parts of the country.

Thousands of youth, aspiring for jobs in Defence forces, notably the Army, vandalized the railway stations and railway properties, protesting the Agnipath army recruitment scheme.

The youth resorted to protests in various parts of the country and torched the Railways' trains, engines, parcel offices, and other valuable properties.

In Vijayawada, more than 250 police personnel from the Railway Protection Force and the city police were deployed in and around the railway station to prevent any untoward incident.

Vijayawada Commissioner of Police Kanti Rana Tata visited the railway station and spoke to the GRP and RPF police officials. Similarly, the police personnel was on high alert at Guntur, Tenali, Rajamahendravaram, Ongole, Nellore, Tirupati, and Vizag railway stations.

The Commissioner of Police told the media that security was beefed up in and around Vijayawada Railway station on Friday. In Guntur and Bapatla districts, the police were on high alert.

Guntur district Urban SP Arif Hafeez and Bapatla SP Vishal Gunni reviewed the security arrangements at various railway stations. Over 300 police personnel were drafted for the duty to prevent any untoward incident at Guntur Railway station and New Guntur railway station, Nallapadu, Tenali, and Bapatla stations. Similarly, security was beefed up at the railway stations in Rajamahendravaram, Nellore, Ongole, Markapuram, Tirupati, and Vizag to prevent untoward incidents.