Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, alleged that the Narendra Modi government brought the 'Agniveer' scheme in order to spend the defence budget for the benefit of a major business house.
Speaking at the Mohania in Kaimur district of Bihar, bordering Uttar Pradesh, a region from where youngsters are known to enrol in the armed forces on a large scale and where there were large-scale protests against the Agniveer scheme two years ago, he claimed that the government wants youngsters to become contractual labourers.
The Congress leader is in the state for his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.
"...They (Centre) don't want to use defence budget for the training and security of jawans. You will neither be recruited in the Army nor in Railways or in any public sector units. Why? The government wants you to become contractual labourers," the Congres leader said.
"They have given the name 'Agniveer' but he is a contractual labourer. That is the truth. They can sack him, throw him out anytime they want, without asking him, without pension or any help."
The 'Agnipath' scheme was launched in June 2022 to recruit aspirants below the officer's rank' cadre of the three services for a period of four years as 'Agniveers'.
Earlier in the day, addressing the 'Kisan Nyay Panchayat' in Bihar's Rohtas district, Gandhi said the Congress will accept long-pending demands of farmers and ensure a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) of crops if the INDIA bloc comes to power in the general elections.
"If the INDIA bloc comes to power after the general elections, we will give a legal guarantee to MSP. Whenever farmers have asked for something from Congress, it has been given to them. Be it loan waiver or MSP, we have always protected the interests of cultivators and will do so in the future," Gandhi said.
