Union Home minister Amit Shah on Saturday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is spreading absolute lies about the “Agniveer scheme”.
The short term defense recruitment model was unfolded by the center govt. in the year 2022. And the first batch of agniveers were passed out in August 2023.
Mr. Gandhi, in his first election meeting in Haryana for the Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday said, that the agniveer scheme would be scrapped down and thrown in the dustbin if the INDIA bloc came into power.
The home minister also said, that it would be rare to see an agniveer unemployed as, 25 percent of agniveers would be permanently recruited in the Indian army, whereas the 75 percent will get reservations in paramilitary forces and state govt. jobs.
Previously Mr. Gandhi also said..
Addressing a public meeting in Haryana’s Mahendragarh, Rahul Gandhi claimed, “PM Narendra Modi has made the jawans (soldiers) of India like laborers…The Army doesn’t want the Agniveer scheme. It’s a scheme made by PMO. Once Congress comes to power we will discard the scheme entirely.”
In his first election meeting in the state, he claimed, “They (the BJP) say there will be two types of martyrs – one normal jawan (soldier) and officer, who will get a pension, martyr status, all facilities and on the other hand, a person from a poor family who has been named Agniveer. Agniveers will neither get martyr status, no pension, no canteen facility.”
Appealing to the youth, Rahul Gandhi said, “The youth of Haryana feels proud to be selected for the Army.”
Defence minister on Agnipath scheme..
Previously in March, the defense minister himself defended the scheme and assured by saying, that, ‘The future of these youths will not be impacted by the scheme, there is a guarantee for that’.
He also said, “the govt. is open for any change to bring, if it required.”
About the Agniveer schemes –
Rolled out in June 2022, the Agnipath scheme recruits Agniveers — soldiers, airmen, and sailors — into the armed forces for four years. At the end of the four-year tenure, up to 25 per cent of them can apply voluntarily to join the services regularly, subject to merit and organizational requirements.
