Rahul mentions Agnipath Scheme in Parl, draws ire
New Delhi: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a scathing critique of the Agnipath Scheme, introduced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term. Speaking on the floor of the House, Gandhi accused the government of treating Agniveers as “use and throw labour” within the armed forces.
Gandhi highlighted the disparity in training, noting that Agniveers receive only six months of training compared to the five years given to other soldiers before being deployed to sensitive border areas. He argued that this insufficient training instils fear in the Agniveers, who are then sent to high-risk zones without adequate preparation or compensation for their families if they are martyred. He also pointed out that this creates a division between soldiers, with one group receiving pensions and the other not.
Gandhi pledged that the Agnipath Scheme would be scrapped if the Opposition came to power, asserting that the scheme was a product of the Prime Minister’s Office rather than the armed forces. The Agnipath Scheme, approved by the Indian Government in June 2022 and implemented in September 2022, targets both male and female aspirants aged 17.5 to 21. Gandhi’s remarks led to a heated exchange in Parliament, with Union Defence minister Rajnath Singh countering the claims. Singh asserted that Gandhi was misinformed and spreading falsehoods, stating that Agniveer martyrs receive Rs 1 crore in compensation. Singh also refuted the claim that the scheme was the brainchild of the PMO, explaining that it was implemented after consultations with 128 different organisations and noting that similar policies are followed by many countries worldwide.
Gandhi further compared the Agniveer decision to the arbitrary nature of demonetisation. He highlighted that soldiers were recruited for a 15+ year tenure with a lifelong pension before the scheme’s introduction. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no recruitment occurred for three years, resulting in a personnel shortage that impacted the armed forces’ operational capabilities. In 2020, a ‘Tour of Duty’ scheme was proposed for voluntary recruitment, allowing civilians to join for three years on a trial basis. The other Union ministers of the Modi Cabinet and BJP members asked for proof from Rahul Gandhi and urged the Speaker of Lok Sabha to take action.
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress member and party president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised the Agnipath Scheme, calling it an unplanned and impractical policy. He demanded its scrapping, arguing that it had shattered the morale of the youth. Experts across various sectors believe that amendments are necessary for the contentious scheme. The ruling BJP has faced significant electoral losses in northern states like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Additionally, NDA allies like JD (U) and LJP (RV) have called for a review of the scheme.
