‘Penny wise and security foolish’: Congress hits out at Centre over Agnipath scheme

Raising several doubts about the Agnipath scheme, Congress leader P Chidambaram urged the Central government to keep it in abeyance and hold consultations with serving and retired officers over armed forces recruitment issue.

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New Delhi: Amid protests in several parts of the country over the Center’s ‘Agnipath’ Yojana, Congress on Thursday (June 16) said the armed forces recruitment scheme is “controversial” and carries “multiple risks”. In a statement, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the short-term recruitment scheme may turn out to be a case of "penny wise and security foolish". He claimed that many retired defence officers have almost unanimously opposed the scheme, adding that he believes that many serving officers share the same view. The Central government’s Agnipath scheme aims to recruit soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force mainly on a four-year short-term contractual basis, after which most of them will have to compulsorily retire without pension.

"The Agnipath scheme is controversial, carries multiple risks, subverts the long-standing traditions and ethos of the armed forces and there is no guarantee that the soldiers recruited under the scheme will be better trained and motivated to defend the country," Chidambaram said. 

My opening statement at the AICC press conference today: pic.twitter.com/NigIYMRC9e — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) June 16, 2022

Raising several doubts about the Agnipath scheme, the senior Congress leader in a statement urged the Center to keep it in abeyance and hold consultations with serving and retired officers. 

Congress’ apprehension of Agnipath scheme

The former Union minister said Agnipath soldiers will be trained for six months, will serve for another 42 months, and after that period 75 per cent of the recruits will be discharged. "It appears to us that the scheme makes a mockery of training; inducts into the defence forces an ill-trained and ill-motivated soldier; and discharges a disappointed and unhappy ex-soldier into the society," he said.

The Congress leader said announcements by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education on opportunities after the recruitment period ends appear to be "after-thoughts".

"They show that the scheme was poorly conceived and hastily drawn up. A major change in the mode of recruitment should have been examined thoroughly and a pilot scheme should have been tried and tested. Nothing of that sort has been done," the Congress leader said. Further, he claimed that several experts have suggested alternative models to address the inadequate armed forces recruitment issue, however, it does not seem that the alternatives were examined. 

"Given the situation on our borders, it is imperative that we have soldiers in our defence forces who are young, well-trained, motivated, happy, satisfied and assured of their future," the former Union minister added. 

Protests against Agnipath scheme

Several youngsters in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr and Ballia districts held protests against the Agnipath scheme today. The protesters in Khurja locality and the city area of Bulandshahr also raised slogans against the central government demanding the withdrawal of defence services recruitment scheme, PTI reported. 

Hundreds of youth took to the streets in Haryana's Gurugram, Rewari and Palwal against the Agnipath scheme, with many blocking highways. A police vehicle was also damaged in stone-pelting in Palwal. 

Protests turned violent in Bihar as at least three trains were set on fire in Chhapra, Gopalganj and Kaimur districts today. 

(With agency inputs)