Monsoon Session: Agnipath protests cost govt nearly Rs 259.44 crore

More than 2,000 trains were affected due to the Agnipath protests across the country, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Parlia­ment on Friday. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, he said 2132 trains were cancelled between June 15 and June 23. 

“During the period, a total refund of approximately Rs 102.96 crore was granted on account of cance­llation of trains and a loss of Rs 259.44 crore due to damage and destruction of railway assets in agitations against Agnipath was incurred. All the affected train services cancelled on account of the scheme have been restored,” he said.

Amid the protests in several parts of the country against the recently launched Agnipath, railway properties were vandalised, torched or attacked from Bihar to Telangana. PTI