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Union Minister General VK Singh (retired) strongly criticized Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his remarks pledging to scrap the 'Agnipath' scheme if the INDIA alliance comes to power after the Lok Sabha elections.
Singh advised Gandhi to serve in the Indian Army first before making any statements about the Agniveer scheme, emphasizing that it's inappropriate to comment without sufficient knowledge and experience.
The Agnipath recruitment scheme, introduced by the Narendra Modi government in 2022, aims to bring down the age profile of the armed forces by inducting personnel on a short-term basis.
The scheme allows for the recruitment of individuals between the ages of 17.5 and 21 for a four-year period, with a provision to retain 25% of them for 15 years.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have campaigned against the scheme and promised to scrap it if they come to power.
In a rally in Haryana's Mahendragarh on May 22, Gandhi alleged that the Centre was turning India's soldiers into 'laborers' and criticized the scheme for allegedly providing unequal treatment to soldiers based on their tenure.
He claimed that the Agniveer scheme would deprive Agniveers of the status of 'shaheed' (martyr) and other benefits given to regular soldiers.
Singh dismissed Gandhi's criticism, stating that the Army does not support the scheme and that it was imposed by the Prime Minister's Office.
He asserted that the INDIA bloc government, if elected, would abolish the Agniveer scheme.
The Agnipath scheme has been a subject of ongoing debate and controversy, with supporters arguing that it will modernize the armed forces and provide opportunities for youth, while critics raise concerns about job security and the potential impact on the morale and effectiveness of the military.
Source: ‘He should serve the Army first': Union minister VK Singh on Rahul Gandhi's Agniveer poll pledge