Jaipur: Protests against the Centre's Agnipath scheme for recruitment in defence services continued across Rajasthan on Friday with protesters holding demonstrations, taking out rallies, blocking railway tracks and damaging public property.

In Bharatpur, hundreds of youths blocked the Agra-Bandikui railway track. Wearing masks, some of them pelted police personnel with stones due to which police resorted to firing tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

"Stones were pelted at policemen. One policeman was injured. We had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Situation is now under control," Bharatpur Superintendent of Police Shyam Singh said.

Protests were also held in Jaipur, Sikar, Kota, Chittorgarh and Alwar districts.

In Alwar, the windshield of a police car was damaged in stone pelting while in Chittorgarh, a protest was held at the district collector's office. The protesters then moved towards a railway station nearby where they damaged railway property and pelted stones at police personnel.

In Sikar, protesters raised anti-Centre slogans and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A roadways bus was vandalised in Neem Ka Thana area of the district, police said.

In Kota and Jaipur, rallies were taken out by protesters.

Scores of defence job aspirants led by the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) had staged protests in several parts of the state on Thursday too.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manvendra Singh Jasol in Jodhpur expressed concern over the scheme.

Jasol termed the scheme a "mess". "This move is only aimed at doing away with the pension in the service," said Jasol.

The Congress leader asked how could a soldier with just 6 months' training be expected to be sent on the front to fight the enemy.

The Centre on Tuesday unveiled the ambitious Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youths aged between 17 and a half and 21 in Army, Navy and Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

On Thursday night, it raised the upper age limit for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme to 23 years for 2022 as the protests against the new model for enrolment of soldiers into the three services spread.

Those recruited under the scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'. After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch will be offered regular service.