Rahul Gandhi attacks govt over Agnipath scheme; Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah counter
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Agniveers recruited under the Agnipath scheme were not granted the status of martyrs and were akin to use and throw labourers
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the government in Lok Sabha over the Agnipath scheme for short-term induction of soldiers, claiming that the Agniveers recruited under it were not granted the status of martyrs and were akin to “use and throw labourers.”
Gandhi’s contention was refuted by defence minister Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah who accused him of misguiding the house with wrong facts.
“LoP shouldn’t mislead the House by giving wrong speeches. If an Agniveer dies during war or at border, his family gets ₹1 crore,” said Singh.
Shah also targeted Gandhi for not giving out the facts. “He should keep the factual position. Otherwise, he should apologise,” said Shah.
The Agnipath model was a major departure from the military’s decades-old recruitment system that was scrapped when the NDA government announced the new scheme in June 2022. It seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in regular service. Those recruited under the new scheme are called Agniveers.
Soldiers who were recruited through the legacy recruitment system serve in the armed forces for about 20 years before they retire in their late 30s with pension and other benefits.
On the other hand, Agniveers released after four years do not get any benefits that ex-servicemen are entitled to, including pension, medical care and canteen facilities.
Agniveers draw an annual salary of ₹4.76 lakh in the first year of service and ₹6.92 lakh in the fourth, get a non-contributory insurance cover of ₹48 lakh, and an additional ex-gratia payment of ₹44 lakh for death attributable to service. Those released after four years will get ₹11.71 lakh as Seva Nidhi severance package, including ₹5.02 lakh contributed by them during their service. They will also have job quotas in different government organisations, paramilitary forces and other departments.
The controversial Agnipath scheme and linked employment issues likely slowed down the BJP-led NDA in the Lok Sabha elections and helped the INDIA bloc make inroads in several states that are widely seen as recruitment hubs for the armed forces, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, as previously reported by HT.
The Congress party promised in its manifesto that it will scrap the Agnipath scheme and bring back the legacy recruitment model if voted to power. To be sure, the NDA government earlier indicated that it was not averse to refining the scheme to enhance its appeal. The army is constantly obtaining feedback from Agniveers to refine the recruitment model for best outcomes.
