Mounting a fresh attack on the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed forces, the Congress on Monday asserted that it would revert back to the old system of recruitment if the party comes to power at the Centre.
The party also demanded regular employment for about two lakh youth, who had cleared the recruitment process but were not given their appointment letters as the government launched the Agnipath scheme in 2022.
Calling it “gross injustice”, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to President Droupadi Murmu as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces and and urged her to ensure justice for them.
In his letter, Mr. Kharge said he had recently met some of the affected youngsters and they had told him that between 2019 and 2022, almost two lakh young men and women had been informed that they were being selected for the three services.
“These young men and women had struggled against all odds to pass gruelling mental and physical tests and a written exam. Until 31 May, 2022, they believed that they had fulfilled their dreams and were awaiting only their joining letters. On that day, their dreams were shattered by the Government of India’s decision to end this recruitment process and replace it with the Agnipath scheme,” Mr. Kharge said.
“Our youth cannot be allowed to suffer in this manner. I appeal to you to ensure that justice is done,” the Congress chief added, and cited former Indian Army chief General M. M. Naravane’s comment in his book, Four Stars of Destiny: An Autobiography, stating, “The Army was taken by surprise by Agnipath and that for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt from the blue.”
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The Congress chief also mentioned the scheme is discriminatory by creating parallel cadres of soldiers, who are expected to work on similar tasks but with very different emoluments, benefits and prospects.
“The majority of Agniveers will be released into an uncertain job market after four years of service, which some have argued could affect social stability,” he noted.
Tagging his letter on social media platform X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said,”We are with the military candidates, who are full of patriotism and bravery, in the fight for justice.”
Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the BJP government of crushing the dreams of lakhs of promising youth by bringing the Agnivir Yojana. “Lakhs of posts are vacant, crores of youth are unemployed -- this is Modi’s guarantee,” she said in a post on X.
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At a joint press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here, party general secretary Sachin Pilot and Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda asserted that there was no demand for such a scheme (Agnipath).
“In the long term, this scheme will not benefit anybody except saving some money for the Government of India. We in the Congress party feel that we should go back to the old recruitment system,” Mr. Pilot said.
Mr. Hooda claimed that when the Congress asked what would the Agniveers do after four years of service, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had said they could employed as chowkidars (watchmen) in the BJP’s offices.
“On whose demand did the Narendra Modi government bring the Agnipath Yojana?” Mr. Hooda asked. “Neither the Army nor the youngsters joining the Army had put forward the demand for the scheme,” he said.
