Agnipath scheme: Reconsider decision, Mayawati tells centre

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said Agneepath scheme was grossly unfair to the future of poor rural youths and their families.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday called upon the Union government to reconsider its new recruitment scheme ‘Agneepath’ that allowed short-term recruitment in the armed forces.

BSP chief Mayawati said the Centre government should immediately reconsider its decision on Agnipath scheme in the interest of youth. (File photo)

In a series of tweets on Thursday, the BSP chief said now the Centre, after keeping the recruitment pending in the army for a long time, had announced the new scheme with a short duration recruitment of 4 years in the army.

“Despite the government calling it attractive and beneficial, the youth of the country are dissatisfied and angry. They are openly opposing to change in the army recruitment system,” she said.

She said the youths believed that the government was limiting the number of recruits in the army to only four years in order to eliminate pension and other benefits in the army and government jobs. “The new scheme is grossly unfair to the future of poor rural youths and their families,” she added.

“People are sad and suffering due to rising poverty, inflation, unemployment and wrong policies and arrogant working style of the government. In such a situation, a sense of uneasiness is spreading among the youth regarding the new recruitment scheme in the army. The government should immediately reconsider its decision, this is the demand of the BSP,” she said.