DW BUREAU / Chandigarh ]Anti-Agnipath protesters went on a rampage in Haryana's Mahendergarh on Saturday damaging a few vehicles and smashing glass panes of a showroom while in neighbouring Punjab over 50 agitators trashed properties after barging in the Ludhiana railway station. Protests against the controversial recruitment scheme for the defence services continued in many parts of Haryana. Youths blocked the Rohtak-Panipat highway in Sonipat and also held protests in Kaithal, Fatehabad and Jind districts. Mobile Internet and SMS services have already been suspended in Mahendergarh, Palwal and Ballabhgarh because of the protests. Mahendergarh has been witness to intense protests against the controversial defence recruitment scheme over the past few days. On Saturday, a police official said some youths set a pick-up van on fire and indulged in vandalism in Mahendergarh. A railway engineer, whose residential quarters is adjacent to the Mahendergarh railway station, claimed that some protesters forcibly entered his building complex and damaged the office and a generator set. Glass panes of a showroom were smashed and a few vehicles were also damaged by the protesters, officials said. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij had on Friday warned of action against those indulging in violence and damaging public property. In Punjab, which had so far not seen major protests against the military recruitment scheme, a national highway was blocked in Jalandhar for several hours while properties in Ludhiana railway station were damaged. Over 50 youths, with their faces covered and some carrying sticks, barged into the railway station complex and broke ticket counters and glass panes, police said. In Jalandhar, youths took out a march and later held a protest. They took out a protest march from Rama Mandi chowk to PAP chowk and blocked the national highway for several hours demanding the Centre withdraw the Agnipath scheme. The youths spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the phone and were advised to hold protests peacefully. Assuring the protesters that his Aam Aadmi Party supports their demands, Mann reiterated that the Agnipath scheme should be rolled back. Over their request to bring a resolution against the Agnipath scheme during the Budget session of the Punjab Assembly, Mann assured him that it will be considered. The Agnipath recruitment scheme was unveiled on Tuesday. On the occasion, the Centre said that youths between the age of 17-and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure while 25 per cent of the recruits will be retained for regular service. The new scheme for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and Air Force was projected by the government as a major overhaul of the decades-old selection process to enhance the youthful profile of the three services. On Thursday, the upper age limit was raised to 23 years for 2022 as protests against the new model for enrolment of soldiers into the three services spread. The announcement of the new scheme came in the backdrop of recruitments into the military remaining stalled for over two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. In attempts to quell the burgeoning protests, the home ministry on Saturday announced to reserve 10 per cent vacancies in the Central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles for 'Agniveers' and a three-year relaxation in the upper age limit. (editor@dailyworld.in)