'Agnipath' degrades dignity & valour of armed forces: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, attacked the government over the 'Agnipath' project on Wednesday and warned that the effectiveness of the armed forces would reduce. He added that they shouldn't have to compromise their dignity and valour.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary also lashed out at the government, asking why it was making recruitment in the army its "laboratory".

"When India faces threats on two fronts, the uncalled for Agnipath scheme reduces the operational effectiveness of our armed forces. The BJP government must stop compromising the dignity, traditions, valour and discipline of our forces," Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.

According to Vadra, the new announced scheme was not based on any serious thinking or consultation.

"Why is the BJP government making recruitment in the armed forces its laboratory? Is the government finding the long service of soldiers a burden? The youth are saying this 4-year rule is a hoax. Our ex-servicemen also disagree with it. No discussion, no serious thinking on the sensitive issue of army recruitment. Just arbitrariness," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

On Tuesday, the government unveiled the 'Agnipath' scheme, which it termed as "transformative". This focuses on recruiting soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force on a four-year short-term contractual basis, changing the selection process that had been in place. This selection process would ensure the inclusion of a younger generation that was fitter, in order to deal with future security challenges facing the nation.

46,000 soldiers would be recruited this year, under this scheme into the service between the ages of 17 and a half years and 21 years, according to the defence ministry.

The recruitment will be based on an "all India, all-class" basis that is set to change the composition of several regiments that recruit youths from specific regions as well as castes such as Rajputs, Jats and Sikhs.

Source - PTI