“Politicising Armed Forces isn’t Nationalism…” Congress Promises To Scrap ‘Agniveer’ Scheme If Voted To Power In 2024

Calling it an injustice to the aspirations of the youth trying to serve the nation through armed forces, Congress on Monday has promised to rollback the controversial ‘Agnipath’ scheme and start with regular recruitments in Indian Armed Forces if their party comes to power in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has also written to President Draupadi Murmu stating the ‘Agnipath’ scheme has betrayed close to two lakh people who were waiting for their joining letters after cracking the recruitment tests for the Armed Forces.

“Almost two lakh young men and women (between 2019-2022) were informed that they had been accepted into the three armed services...The young men and women had struggled against all odds to pass gruelling mental and physical tests and a written exam. Until 31st May 2022 they believed that they had fulfilled their dreams and were awaiting only their joining letters. On that day their dreams were shattered by the Government of India’s decision to end this recruitment process and replace it with the ‘Agnipath’ scheme”, Kharge wrote in his letter recalling his experience of meeting youth affected due to the ‘Agnipath’ scheme.

Highlighting the expenses incurred by the Government after hosting the G20 event to the tune of Rs 4100 crore; Rs 8400 crore for PM Modi’s aircraft, and Rs 20,000 crore after the new parliament, Congress has alleged that BJP-led Central government had adopted cost-cutting in defence recruitments so that funds could be diverted after something, at the cost of the future of the youths and also nation’s security. “When the scheme was launched we had strongly opposed it. Saving money like this for other budgetary allocations isn’t a sustainable idea. We will roll back the ‘Agnipath’ scheme and restart the original recruitment process. We will also mention this in our manifesto,” said Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday during a press conference.


Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is currently leading the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, on Friday had alleged that through the ‘Agniveer’ scheme the Modi government was trying to help business houses by passing the defence budget to businessmen close to the PM. “Government wants soldiers to work on contracts as contract labourers who could be fired anytime and won’t get the due respect. 'Agniveers' will not get the status of the martyr after their supreme sacrifice, they will never get a pension,” Rahul Gandhi said on Friday while addressing a crowd at Mohania in Bihar.


The 'Agnipath' Scheme was introduced in June 2022 where youths between the age bracket of 17-and-a-half years and 21 years were to be recruited for four years into the three verticals of the Indian Armed Forces, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda reminded the infamous comment of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya when he claimed that 'Agniveers' after returning from service can become a security guard at a BJP party office. “Our youth can not be allowed to suffer in this manner. This isn’t nationalism when you play politics with the armed forces,” said Hooda