New Delhi, 06 November (H.S.): The Congress has demanded the scrapping of the Agnipath scheme and the resumption of regular recruitment into the armed forces. The party has also announced the launch of its ‘Jai Jawan – Part 2’ campaign, through which it will raise the demands and concerns of Agniveers across the country.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters on Friday, Colonel (Retd.) Rohit Chaudhary, Chairman of the Congress Ex-Servicemen Department, said the government had imposed the Agnipath scheme on the armed forces and had now decided to grant a two-year extension of service to 75 per cent of Agniveers as the first batch completes its four-year tenure. He questioned why Agniveers were not being absorbed into the regular forces on a permanent basis.

Colonel Chaudhary claimed that the scheme had resulted in a shortfall of approximately 2.25 lakh personnel in the armed forces and dashed the aspirations of 1.5 lakh young people who had been recruited into the Army and Air Force but were still awaiting their appointments. He demanded that Agniveers be granted the same leave entitlements, permission to marry and other facilities as regular soldiers.

He also called for lifelong pensions for the families of Agniveers who die in the line of duty, the reinstatement of Agniveers discharged on medical grounds and the extension of all service-related benefits, with effect from their original recruitment dates, to the 25 per cent who are absorbed into the regular forces.

Colonel Sidhir Kumar, Vice-Chairman of the Ex-Servicemen Department in western Uttar Pradesh, said the Agnipath scheme had adversely affected the Army’s training system. He claimed that the shortage of personnel could worsen in December when 75 per cent of Agniveers are due to leave service.

Colonel Ram Ratan Negi, Chairman of the Uttarakhand Ex-Servicemen Department, said the scheme had affected Uttarakhand’s generations-old tradition of joining the armed forces.

Lieutenant Colonel Navjot Singh Thind, Chairman of the Chandigarh Ex-Servicemen Department, said sustained opposition and pressure from Rahul Gandhi had compelled the government to make changes to the scheme.

The Congress said it would continue its campaign until the Agnipath scheme was scrapped.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar