HYDERABAD: Secunderabad Railway Station resembled a battlefield on Friday after a mob, protesting against the Union government’s Agnipath scheme, went berserk, torching two trains and damaging six more, vandalising kiosks and cargo, forcing security personnel to open fire that claimed one life and left 12 protesters injured.
While 25-year-old Damera Rakesh from Warangal district succumbed to bullet injuries, V Mallikarjun from Vikarabad district and R Bharat from Nirmal district were injured in the firing. Among those injured during the protest that rocked the railway station for close to 10 hours were a number of personnel from the Railway Protection Force, TS Special Police Battalions and the Hyderabad city police. Fortunately, no passenger was injured in the incident.
By the time additional forces from Railway Protection Force and all wings of Telangana police were rushed to the railway station, major damage had already been done. All platforms of Secunderabad Railway Station were ransacked, with kiosks, furniture, a majority of the CC cameras and other equipment damaged.
Earlier in the morning, the mob marched towards the end of the platform towards Kazipet while damaging trains stationed there. The mob, made up mostly of youths, went berserk, pelting stones from the tracks on the trains.
After repeated attempts to calm the protesters down, the police opened fire to stop them from charging again towards the platform. This led to further stone pelting on the trains and security personnel. After much effort, the mob quietened down and the protesters squatted on the tracks, raising slogans demanding cancellation of the Agnipath scheme and an announcement to this effect.
During the course of the day, police held talks with the protesters and tried to persuade them to call off their protest. However, the crowd did not budge. After consultations with Army officials, the police invited 10 members from the crowd for talks with Army authorities, but the protesters remained firm, continuing to press for their demands.
After repeated attempts to convince the protesters to come for talks failed, teams from Hyderabad city Police’s task force, Special teams of TS police, Central Reserve Police, Rapid Action Force and RPF, surrounded the railway station from all sides and rounded up the protesters. They were whisked away and shifted to various police stations across the city. Earlier, passengers already seated in trains panicked and ran for safety, leaving their luggage behind. Some claimed that they were dragged out of the trains before the coaches were set on fire.