Kharge slams Agnipath, says Cong to protest from Sunday

Kalaburagi (Karnataka), June 18

Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the union government for introducing Agnipath scheme for the recruitment in armed forces and said the party will start agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from Sunday.

"No soldier will come out well trained if aspirants of armed forces are given training for four years and then make them retire," Kharge said here on Saturday.

"It is not fair to recruit soldiers for armed forces on the basis of contract and daily-wages," he said. The candidates need more time to know about security forces. If they are asked to leave the force after 4 years, how is it possible? Kharge questioned.

"Congress is starting a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from Sunday against the Agnipath scheme," he stated.

"Those who want to join the army are ready to martyr themselves for the country without any expectations. Will it be good, if they are treated like contract labourers? They would pay a heavy fee to tuition centres for the training. They won't recover the money in 4 years. This scheme will never be accepted by the youth," he said.

There should not be politics in this matter. They (BJP) are provoking youth by introducing such a scheme and the protests are turning violent, he said.

The central government has not made any recruitment in the recent past. There are lakhs of job opportunities in the armed forces. There are vacant posts of the central government in Karnataka. No step is being taken for recruitment, he slammed.