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Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel hits out at Centre over Agnipath scheme
Agnipath scheme: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the BJP-led central government of playing with the security of the country and the future of the youth with its Agnipath scheme
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states that have announced priority to the recruitment of Agniveers in the state police after completing four years in the armed service, saying the Centre and BJP were trying to mislead the youth.
“The army and police are two different professions. Police are for maintaining law and order while the army is for defence. An army man knows only two things, friend and enemy. They fight and eliminate their enemies. Police are mainly tasked with maintaining law and order and cannot be associated with it,” he said.
Baghel said the training for the two careers was different and questioned why the Centre was trying to mislead people on the issue by saying that the Agniveers will be preferred in police recruitment.
He also asked if it will be possible to recruit all de-inducted Agniveers as police personnel after their four-year term is over. “What will happen to those who will not get jobs? In which direction are you taking society?” the Chhattisgarh chief minister said.
The Agnipath scheme, announced by defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, replaces the legacy system of recruitment with the aim to lower the age profile of the three services, ensure a fitter military and create a technically adept war fighting unit.
But only 25% of the Agniveers recruited for four years will be inducted into the military’s regular cadre for 15 more years after another round of screening. The government has said the scheme will create a skilled and dynamic workforce for employment in other sectors.
To address concerns that 75% of people recruited as Agniveers will be back looking for jobs after the four-year-stint, several state governments such as Uttar Pradesh said they will give priority to them in recruitment. In states which have not made such a commitment, BJP leaders have been demanding that they follow suit.
Baghel said youth trained in weapons, could get involved in criminal activities when they become jobless after completion of their four-year tenure as part of the scheme.
The chief minister said the existing recruitment system was a better option.
“Why is full-time recruitment not being done in the armed forces? Are you (Centre) trying to say you don’t have money for recruitment in the army that protects our country? Youth join the armed forces with a spirit to serve the nation. Why are you playing with the future and borders of the country?”
“On one hand you have been selling the country’s assets and on the other, you don’t have money for army recruitment. You should issue a white paper on this situation,” Baghel added.
