India's main opposition party Congress on Monday gave a call for staging nationwide demonstrations against the newly-proposed armed forces recruitment drive - 'Agnipath', while demanding its complete rollback.
On Sunday, Congress stated that the short-term recruitment policy was "anti-youth" and "anti-national."
Akhilesh Pratap Singh, Congress spokesperson said, "Why was no discussion held in the parliament or with the relevant stakeholders before announcing the scheme? The announced scheme is dangerous for national security, as a soldier cannot be trained in six months, it takes at least 6-7 years to train a soldier," Singh added.
Photos and videos have surfaced on social media handles where Congress workers can be seen holding placards with slogans targeting Narendra Modi's government.
Congress workers protest Against Agnipath
© Photo : Twitter
Under the new system, soldiers will get a fixed salary of INR 30,000 ($380) per month, of which approximately INR 9,000 ($127) will be paid at the end of their service in the fourth year. However, they will not get pensions or social security coverage.
After this, one-fourth of the recruits will be absorbed into the regular armed forces.
The scheme is being criticized by many opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and others. On Sunday, Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik said the 'Agnipath' scheme is a "fraud" aimed at the hopes of future jawan (soldier) and that those retiring without a pension after serving the armed forces for four years would have a tough time finding a spouse.
In the past few days, thousands of youth preparing for the Indian Army held massive protests, torching trains and vehicles, and blocking highways. So far, two aspirants have committed suicide since the announcement of the scheme and one was killed in a protest.
Congress parliamentarians had also taken out a peaceful march from Parliament against Agnipath scheme and a delegation of senior politicians submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind, who is is the Commander-in-Chief in India, requesting him to withdraw the controversial scheme.
According to the Indian Defense Ministry, the scheme, on the contrary, is supposed to boost the Indian army's capabilities.
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