NEW DELHI, 27 May: The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of “playing with” national security and the future of the youths by bringing in the Agnipath scheme, and asserted that the military recruitment programme would be scrapped when it comes to power at the Centre.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the Agnipath scheme is the contribution of the “outgoing prime minister.”
“This is playing with national security and the future of the youth. Before Agnipath, about 75,000 youthswere recruited (annually) into the armed forces, and now that has been reduced by one-fourth,” Ramesh said in a video statement posted on X.
He said that under the Agnipath scheme, training is given to the youths for six months and they are told to go and take on China and Pakistan at the borders.
Ramesh recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s June 2020 statement, which the Congress describes as a “clean chit of China,” and claimed that it hasreduced India’s negotiating power.
“We should remember that the three chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force had opposed Agnipath.
Former Army chief (Gen Manoj Mukund) Naravane has talked about this in his book. The outgoing PM will have to answer after 4 June as to why Agnipath was brought in and our national security played with,” he said.
In a post in Hindi along with his video statement, the Congress leader said, “Outgoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought this scheme without any discussion. Even the armed forces had not given consent for this. This policy has compromised our capabilities against China.”
Ramesh said that the Congress would scrap the policy when it comes to power.
Last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had alleged that Modi had “betrayed” the youths dreaming of serving the country by “forcibly” imposing the Agnipath scheme, and asserted than an INDIA bloc government will ensure justice for them.
Gandhi shared a video of his recent interaction on a tempo with some youths who wanted to join the armed forces but could not do so because of the Agnipath scheme being introduced.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stoutly defended the Agnipath scheme, saying that there cannot be a more attractive scheme for the youths as it offers guarantee of a full-term job for ‘agniveers’ who retire following a four-year tenure in the armed forces.
The government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme in June 2022 for short-term induction of personnel with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services.
It provides for recruiting youngsters between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25 percent of them for 15 more years. (PTI)
