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Agnipath scheme a plan to bring army under RSS: Kumaraswamy
“This is a plan to bring the army under RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) control and use the 75% (out of the 10 lakh) who come out of the army and will be spread out around the country. Is the Agnipath scheme to create Agniveer’s a ploy to implement the same measures (agenda),” Kumaraswamy told reporters in Ramanagara on Sunday.
Former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) leader, HD Kumaraswamy lashed out at the Centre’s Agnipath model for the short-term induction of soldiers into the military, alleging that the scheme is a plan “to bring the army under the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)”.
“This is a plan to bring the army under RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) control and use the 75% (out of the 10 lakh) who come out of the army and will be spread out around the country. Is the Agnipath scheme to create Agniveer’s a ploy to implement the same measures (agenda),” Kumaraswamy told reporters in Ramanagara on Sunday.
The statements come at a time when there have been protests across the country over the scheme, including in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and other places.
Under Agnipath, recruits will join the armed forces for four years and will be called Agniveers. After this period, 25% will be retained, based on merit, for full service, while the remaining 75% will be relieved. The relieved Agniveers will be given a 10% reservation each in posts under the Union home and defence ministries.
Kumaraswamy questioned the brains behind the concept, alleging that there was no discussion by the parliamentary committee on defence nor was the idea mooted by any member of the armed forces.
The former chief minister questioned the people recruiting these 10 lakh youngsters and suspected that this entire exercise was being done by the RSS to take control over the army and spread out its people across the country after training.
The Congress and other political parties in the country have opposed the plan mooted by the Prime Minister-led BJP government at the union.
“Tomorrow lakhs of Congress workers across the country will continue peaceful protests against the anti-youth Agnipath scheme & Modi Govt’s vendetta politics targeting its leader Shri Rahul Gandhi, MP. A Congress delegation will also meet Hon’ble Rashtrapati in the evening,” Jairam Ramesh, senior Congress leader and member of parliament to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, said in a post on Twitter.
DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, questioned if top political leaders and ministers would send their children to the army under this scheme.
“After four years, what will these Agniveers do? After they get injured, will you employ our youngsters as security guards? Will ministers and legislators send your children? Your children should become engineers, doctors, professors and big businessmen, but should the children of the poor become guards? We completely oppose this. Youngsters are the wealth of this nation,” Shivakumar said.
The Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government has defended the scheme, calling it “novel” and one that would provide youngsters with several opportunities.
“Agnipath is a novel scheme. The system of inducting youth for military training is prevalent all over the world. If the youth get into military training at 17-21 years, they would get many opportunities after their stint in the military. They would be inducted into paramilitary forces. The scheme has been launched to have a young military and a well-trained, fit population. The Union government is likely to address the apprehensions of those who have already written the exam. But violence and arson, setting fire to trains are unpardonable. Passengers are being inconvenienced, public property is being destroyed. This is a politically motivated act. People will understand this very soon,” Bommai said.
