Animesh Singh / NEW DELHI
Opposition MPs from the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today sought withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme during a meeting of the Parliamentary consultative committee on defence, which was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The MPs comprising Adhir Ranjan Choudhury of the Congress and Sougata Roy of TMC among others, told the Defence Minister that the Government should take back the scheme and also pointed out that due to rising unemployment, lakhs of youth had applied for a handful of vacancies advertised under the Agnipath scheme, sources aware of the development, said.
During the meeting of the 21 member consultative committee, which was rescheduled for today from its earlier date of July 8, the members were shown a presentation on the scheme by the Defence Minister.
Interestingly though, even as a clutch of Opposition MPs sought the scheme’s withdrawal in a written statement which they presented to the Defence Minister during the meeting, Congress MP Manish Tewari – who had last month lauded the Agnipath scheme – did not sign the statement.
The meeting, which discussed the Agnipath recruitment scheme, focussing on how millions of youth had shown interest in it, was questioned by the Opposition MPs, sources added.
Sources informed that the MPs called for its withdrawal, citing reasons that recruits or “Agniveers”, who will leave the defence services after the completion of their four-year tenure, will be rendered jobless and this could lead to growing frustration among them, a situation which could be an impediment to national security.
Apparently, sources said, references of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination last week, were also made to highlight the point during the meeting, by the Opposition MPs.
The Opposition MPs further pointed out that the very fact that millions of candidates had applied for a select number of vacancies in the armed forces, showed how unemployment was rampant in the country.
The Government on its part said that the Agnipath scheme was a major reform measure to make the defence forces leaner and younger.
Last week, this portal had reported that the consultative committee on defence’s meeting was postponed for today, after it was originally supposed to be held on July 8, 2022.
It was supposed to discuss the controversial Agnipath scheme, however it was later informed that the meeting would discuss the Agnipath recruitment scheme.