Agnipath scheme will increase disaffection among youth: BJP MP Varun Gandhi questions armed forces’ recruitment scheme

New Delhi: BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Thursday (June 16) raised questions on various provisions of the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme— which aims to recruit soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force mainly on a four-year short-term contractual basis— and asked the government to clarify its stance. Sharing his letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Twitter, Gandhi wrote, “There are many questions in the minds of the youth of the country regarding the 'Agnipath' scheme. In order to get the youth out of the state of confusion, the government should make its stand clear by putting forward the facts related to the scheme at the earliest. So that the youth energy of the country can be used positively in the right direction.” 

In his letter, Gandhi mentioned that the scheme will give rise to more disaffection among the youths. He said as 75 per cent of soldiers will become "unemployed" after the four-year recruitment programme ends and their total numbers will increase every year, this will give a rise to more disaffection among the youth. 

Further, he questioned the employment prospects for these retired soldiers when the corporate sector does not express much interest in recruiting even the regular military personnel who retire after 15 years. “Four years of service will disrupt their education, and they will also face difficulties in getting another job or more education as they will be older to others with similar qualifications,” the Lok Sabha MP wrote in his letter, also highlighting that these youth will face financial difficulties.  

Varun Gandhi said that as only 25 per cent of the 'Agniveers' will continue after four years, the Agnipath scheme will prove to be a waste of training cost and an “unnecessary burden” on the defence budget. “The government should keep the interest of unemployed youth paramount and bring out various policy aspects of this initiative,” he added. 

आदरणीय @rajnathsingh जी,

'अग्निपथ' योजना को लेकर देश के युवाओं के मन में कई सवाल हैं।

युवाओं को असमंजस की स्थिति से बाहर निकालने के लिए सरकार अतिशीघ्र योजना से जुड़े नीतिगत तथ्यों को सामने रख कर अपना पक्ष साफ करे।

जिससे देश की युवा ऊर्जा का सकारात्मक उपयोग सही दिशा में हो सके। pic.twitter.com/6UkcR4FEBJ — Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) June 16, 2022

On Tuesday, the Center had unveiled the "transformative" Agnipath scheme under which as many as 46,000 soldiers between the age group of 17 and a half years and 21 years will be hired this year into the three services. "Under the 'Agnipath' scheme, Indian youth will be provided an opportunity to serve in the armed forces as 'Agniveer'. This scheme has been brought to strengthen the security of the country. It is a transformative scheme," Rajnath Singh had said. 

Protests against Agnipath scheme across country

Several youngsters in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr and Ballia districts held protests against the Agnipath scheme The protesters in Khurja locality and the city area of Bulandshahr also raised slogans against the central government demanding the withdrawal of the recruitment to defence services scheme, PTI reported. 

Hundreds of youth to the streets in Haryana's Gurugram, Rewari and Palwal against the Agnipath scheme, with many blocking highways, while a police vehicle was damaged in stone-pelting in Palwal. 

Protests turned violent in Bihar as at least three trains were set on fire in Chhapra, Gopalganj and Kaimur districts today. 

(With agency inputs)