LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday criticised the 'Agniveer Yojana', the new recruitment scheme for Indian armed forces, saying that no one who wants to serve the country would ever want to become "Agniveer."
Yadav was addressing an 'Ex-Servicemen Conference' at the Mainpuri Samajwadi Party office as part of the ongoing election campaign for his wife Dimple Yadav who is contesting in Mainpuri Lok Sabha by-election.
According to a statement issued by the party, Yadav while addressing the ex-servicemen said that the constitution is being torn to pieces by the BJP.
Criticising the 'Agniveer Yojana', he said, "One who wants to serve the country will never want to become Agniveer."
An army recruitment drive organised in Farrukhabad earlier had found no takers.
"The government is saying that it is saving the budget through these schemes, but when the country itself risks losing its existence, then what's the point of saving budget," he said
He told the ex-servicemen that if they strengthen their booths, the SP would score its biggest victory with this election.
"The public trusts the words of ex-servicemen. With the support of ex-servicemen, no one can stop SP from winning," he said.
Remembering SP patriarch and his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav said that once he had made up his mind, no one could stop him.
"When Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav ) was the Defence Minister, he went to Siachen. He was told that it is very cold there and he could go there in 'dhoti kurta.' But regardless of anyone, he went in dhoti kurta. Netaji also went to Russia in dhoti kurta. The President of Russia also welcomed Netaji by breaking the protocol," said Akhilesh Yadav.
The SP President said that it was because of Netaji that the Agra-Lucknow Expressway could be completed so quick. Fighter jets landed on the expressway when it was inaugurated on 26 November 2016, he said.
"In the Samajwadi government, we had set up markets on both sides of the expressway for the convenience of the farmers, but BJP ruined the plan," he added.
