Abeyance to withdrawal: Congress hardens stand on ‘Agnipath’ scheme; Deepender Hooda seeks immediate rollback

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 17

The Congress on Friday demanded immediate withdrawal of the new armed forces recruitment drive “Agnipath” saying the scheme should be rolled back without delay lest the situation goes in the direction similar to the one witnessed in the year long farmers agitation in which over 100 farmers had died.

The party had yesterday demanded that the scheme be kept in abeyance and extensive consultations held with retired and serving defence officers to address issues of security emanating from the scheme.

 The party however hardened its stand on the issue amid massive and violent protests across Telangana, Bihar, UP, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and other parts with Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana Deepender Hooda seeking “instant withdrawal of the scheme.”

Hooda cited death by suicide of a Haryana-based youth who lost out on the chance to join the Armed Forces after becoming overage due to a three year delay in recruitment drives.

“The government should stop being adamant in this matter. There is no difference between Rajhath and balhath. The government should give up its rigidity and prevent a repeat of farmers’ agitation where 700 farmers died due to government’s delayed decision to roll back the laws,” Hooda said.

 The Haryana MP also sought a special session of Parliament to discuss all matters related to defence and security issues.

“The government should call a special session or an all-party meeting or at least the defence standing committee meeting to discuss the security situation in the wake of delay of three years on army recruitments,” Hooda said.

 He appealed to the youth to maintain peace and use constitutional means to agitate for their rights as was done in the farmers’ agitation.

“This government has been bitten by a bug to copy western models to implement reforms in India. The government had imported the farm laws from the US where only one per cent of the population depends on agriculture as against India where this dependence is more than 50 pc. Now Agnipath has been imported from Israel where employment levels are high and majority of the youth do not want to join the Army. Indian youth on the contrary are driven by the spirit to serve the nation. But you have an infatuation with everything foreign. That’s not acceptable,” Hooda said.

 He said for any reform in the recruitment process a wider consensus was needed for which a bipartisan view is needed after extensive debate in a special session of Parliament or at an all-party meeting.

 Hooda said there is a great divide between the government and rural India which was why the land acquisition law, the farm laws and now Agnipath are being vehemently opposed.

“This government does not understand the aspirations of rural India and middle class. First farmers fought this government. Now aspiring soldiers will,” the Congress leader said.

 The government earlier today defended the scheme with the Army Chief also hailing the relaxation in the upper age limit for recruitment under the plan from 23 to 21 years.

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