New Delhi: Congress chief stalwart Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday delivered a scathing critique of the central BJP authorities’s Agnipath scheme, saying that this system, which trains recruits for a mere six months, is grossly insufficient when in comparison with the five-year coaching routine of Chinese language troopers. Gandhi warned of the dire penalties this disparity may convey on the battlefield. Gandhi pledged {that a} Congress-led authorities would dismantle the Agnipath scheme, which he described as ill-conceived by the prime minister and rejected by the navy institution.
“Earlier, poor folks used to affix the sena (learn Military). They (troopers) used to get a pension and martyr standing. The power of the canteen was additionally out there to them. Now they (Centre) say we’re producing Agniveers by recruiting say 4 youths (underneath the scheme) and coaching them for six months,” the Congress MP stated. He puzzled how an Agniveer may face a educated Chinese language soldier.
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“Chinese language troopers will come after present process (fight) coaching for 5 years. You possibly can perceive the consequence. Our son (Agniveer) might be martyred. Then we might be informed that he will not get the standing of martyr as a result of he’s Agniveer. You’ll neither get the canteen facility nor a pension.
“However the particular person he (Agniveer) will battle will say that ‘brother, you aren’t getting a pension, you aren’t getting canteen facility, you’ll not get the standing of martyr both. However I get a canteen facility and also will get a pension. I can even get the martyr standing’,” Gandhi stated. He stated if Congress involves energy, it can scrap the Agniveer scheme.
The Agnipath scheme, launched in June 2022, goals to rejuvenate the armed forces by recruiting younger people for brief stints, with a small fraction retained for longer service. Nevertheless, Gandhi’s narrative painted a grim image of the Agniveer’s future, missing in each recognition and advantages, standing in stark distinction to their adversaries.
The Congress in its manifesto “Nyay Patra” has promised to abolish the Agnipath/Agniveer scheme.
Gandhi additionally claimed the sena was not in favour of this scheme.
“In case you ask the Military whether or not they need Agniveer (scheme), they may say they do not need this scheme. This scheme is inflicting loss to us in addition to the nation. The Agniveer Yojana was conceptualised by the prime minister and a choice was taken by the PMO. The Military is towards this scheme,” he claimed.
Had the sena wished the Agnipath scheme, I’d have by no means stated from the stage that we’d abolish it.
“The sena desires Agniveer Yojana to be cancelled and we’re going to scrap it,” he added. Gandhi additionally listed numerous guarantees talked about within the Congress manifesto for ladies, youths, farmers and the poor. He reiterated the Congress’ dedication to the caste-based census which he stated could be a “social X-ray”.