Former servicemen said idea of Agniveer came from RSS: Rahul

New Delhi, Feb 7

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at the Modi government over Agnipath scheme and said that it was imposed on Army by the RSS and Home Ministry.

"During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, retired officers of Indian Army told us that idea about Agniveer came from RSS and was thrust on the Army. They said we are training 1000s in weapons and then soon after, they will become civilians amid high unemployment. The officers told me that Ajit Doval is the man behind this idea," Rahul Gandhi said in the Motion of Thanks on President's address.

"How is it that the Agniveer Yojana was mentioned only once in the President's speech? There was no word on unemployment and inflation in the address. So all the issues that people told me about during the yatra, we didn't hear in the President's address," he added amid uproar.

"During 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', we heard people's voices while we also kept our voices. We talked to children, women, and the elderly during the yatra. We asked the youth about their jobs... Many said they are unemployed or drive Uber. Farmers talked about not getting money under PM-BIMA Yojana and their land being snatched away, while tribals talked about Tribal Bill."

"When we first started walking (referring to Bharat Jodo Yatra), we wanted to play the opposition and tell people about issues facing the country. However, as we progressed, after 500-600 kms, there was a major change. Instead of us telling the people the source of their problems, they themselves started speaking to us," he said.