Pathankot, May 27: Union Minister General VK Singh on Monday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks regarding the cancellation of the Agniveer scheme if his party came to power.
When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the Agniveer scheme has made soldiers mere labourers, Singh said, “I want to advise Rahul Gandhi that he must serve in the Indian army first and then make any statement about the Agniveer scheme. It is not right to say anything if he does not know the army.”
He also alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a habitual liar. “It is Arvind Kejriwal’s quality that he lies in such a way that he is speaking the truth. People can see the truth,” he added.
Earlier on May 22, Rahul Gandhi accused the PM Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre of turning India’s soldiers into labourers and promised to scrap the Agniveer scheme after coming to power on June 4.
Addressing a public rally in Haryana’s Mahendragarh, the Congress leader had said that India’s borders are secured by the youth of Haryana and other states.
“You have patriotism in your heart, blood, and DNA. Narendra Modi ji, for the first time, has turned India’s soldiers into labourers. He (PM Modi) says that there will be two kinds of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. One, is a normal jawan or officer whose family will get a pension, status, and all other facilities. The other, a poor family’s son who is named Agniveer; this Agniveer will neither get the status of ‘shaheed’ nor will he get any pension or any other facility,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He further said that after June 4, the INDIA bloc would tear this Agniveer scheme into pieces and dump it in the dustbin. “The Army does not want this scheme… this scheme is imposed by the PMO. The INDIA bloc government will come to power and the first thing we shall do is throw this Agniveer scheme in the dustbin… We are going to tear this Agniveer scheme into pieces and dump it in the dustbin,” the Congress MP had said.
ANI
Agnipath scheme has compromised India’s defence capabilities against China: Jairam
New Delhi, May 27: Continuing the party’s attack on the government over the Agnipath scheme, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday said that it is against the interests of the country’s security and the future of the youth.
He alleged that the scheme has compromised India’s defence capabilities against China.
In a video statement released on X, Jairam Ramesh said that the scheme is “a compromise with the country’s security”.
He said after the scheme was implemented by the Modi government, the number of youth being taken into armed forces has reduced to about a fourth of nearly 75,000 recruited earlier.
He said the youth taken through the scheme are given training for six months and are sent to the borders.
He claimed that the service chiefs had opposed the Agnipath scheme.
Jairam Ramesh also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at an all-party meeting in 2020 following border tensions with China and said these remarks had weakened India’s negotiating position.
He said the “outgoing PM” will have to answer for the scheme after results of Lok Sabha polls on June 4.
In the post on X accompanying his video statement, Jairam Rames alleged that the Agnipath scheme had been brought by the Prime Minister without any consultations.
“It has compromised our capabilities against China,” he said.
Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi have been raking up Agniveer scheme in their poll rallies.
The Agnipath scheme was announced by the Centre in June 2022. It provides for recruiting soldiers for four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them in regular service. Those recruited under the scheme are called ‘Agniveers’. The government has said there will be several job and other avenues open for the youth who are not retained in the defence forces after four years.
Congress has said in its manifesto for Lok Sabha polls that it will “scrap the Agnipath Scheme and return to the normal recruitment processes followed by the Army, Navy and Air Force that will guarantee economic and social security for our soldiers”.
ANI
