'Agnipath' protests: BJP condemns violence, says decision to raise upper age limit shows Government ready to be flexible

Tribune News Service

Vibha Sharma

New Delhi, June 17

As protests against the new recruitment plan “Agnipath” spread across multiple states, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Thursday condemned the violence and blamed the Opposition parties for inciting the youth.  

Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the decision to increase the upper age limit in the Agnipath scheme shows the government willing to be flexible. 

Meanwhile, senior BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, reached out to protesters. Shah said that the Covid pandemic had affected the recruitment process in past two years. “Due to his concerns for the youth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to increase the upper age limit from 21 to 23 years,” he said. 

Shah said the decision would benefit a large number of youth. “They will use the opportunity to serve the nation and move towards a bright future,” he said, thanking the Prime Minister. 

इस निर्णय से बड़ी संख्या में युवा लाभान्वित होंगे और अग्निपथ योजना के माध्यम से देशसेवा व अपने उज्ज्वल भविष्य की दिशा में आगे बढ़ेंगे। इसके लिए @narendramodi जी का आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 17, 2022

पिछले दो वर्ष कोरोना महामारी के कारण सेना में भर्ती प्रक्रिया प्रभावित हुई थी, इसलिए प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी ने ‘अग्निपथ योजना’ में उन युवाओं की चिंता करते हुए पहले वर्ष उम्र सीमा में दो वर्ष की रियायत देकर उसे 21 साल से 23 साल करने का संवेदनशील निर्णय लिया है।

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) June 17, 2022

Amid angry protests by Army aspirants against the BJP-led Central Government’s short-term recruitment scheme ‘Agnipath’, seeking its withdrawal, sources said the government was keeping a “close watch on the agitation”.

The government “does not want the agitation to take the shape of farmers’ agitation against the new-repealed three laws”, they said, amid apprehensions of the protests taking the shape of the “JP movement”.

Apart from relaxation in upper age limit, the Centre and BJP-ruled states, including UP and Haryana, have announced supporting plans for prospective “Agniveers”, including promises of post-retirement jobs and educational courses to augment employability. 

Several veterans and Opposition leaders, as also BJP’s estranged MP Varun Gandhi, have expressed apprehensions at the scheme leading to disaffection among the youth.

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