On Friday, as they paid tribute to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas, Opposition parties aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims about the Agnipath scheme. The opposition demanded a review of the scheme, which Modi had described as a crucial reform initiated by the Army. Modi also accused the opposition of politicizing the recruitment process, which is designed to keep the average age in the armed forces lower.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other party leaders have accused the prime minister of engaging in “petty politics” regarding the Agnipath scheme. The opposition party labeled the prime minister’s claim that the government was introducing the policy at the military’s request as “a blatant lie” and criticized him for using the issue for political gain.
In a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter), Kharge expressed his disagreement, saying it was unfortunate and unacceptable that even on occasions like tributes to the martyrs of Kargil Victory Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi indulged in frivolous politics.
He claimed that no previous prime minister has ever done this.
Kharge stated that Modi’s claim that the Agnipath scheme was introduced at the Army’s request is a blatant lie and a serious insult to our courageous Armed Forces. He accused Modi of spreading lies.
The Congress President stated that even the former Army Chief General MM Naravane had mentioned that the original plan for the Agnipath scheme was to make 75% of recruits permanent, while only 25% would be let go after four years. However, he claimed that the Modi government changed this plan and enforced the scheme across all three branches of the Armed Forces.
The opposition minister noted that, according to news reports, former Army Chief General MM Naravane, in his unpublished book that the Modi government has blocked, described the Agnipath scheme as shocking for the Army and as a “bolt out of the blue” for the Navy and Air Force.
Kharge questioned in the post whether it was possible and fair to give professional military training to soldiers in just 6 months. He emphasized that soldiers enlist out of patriotism and not monetary benefits.
He added that many retired officers have strongly criticized the Agnipath scheme, arguing that it puts national security at risk and crushes the dreams of rural youth. They have called for the scheme to be entirely scrapped, and their concerns are well-documented.
Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted that Agniveers receive no pension, gratuity, family pension, or education allowances for their children. He emphasized that, with 15 Agniveers having already made the ultimate sacrifice, their martyrdom deserves respect. He noted that there is significant anger and opposition among the youth regarding the Agnipath scheme. The Congress party remains firm in its demand for the scheme to be completely scrapped.
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh also criticized Modi’s claim that the pension bill was unrelated to the Agnipath scheme. He pointed out that for the past two years, government spokespeople, military experts, and defense analysts have consistently argued that managing the pension bill was the main motivation behind Agnipath/Agniveer. Ramesh expressed disbelief at Modi’s attempt to deny this, noting that the public had already seen through his claims and that Modi’s self-perception seemed increasingly disconnected from reality.
