The contentious Agnipath scheme was debated in the Lok Sabha on Monday with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of distorting and misrepresenting facts concerning the scheme.
Gandhi said the Agnipath scheme as per the 2024 budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was an injustice done to the nation’s soldiers, jeopardising their financial security and respect, since it doesn’t have a pension provision. He asserted that this policy was proof that the government was having an anti-youth and anti-farmer stance.
In his reaction to Gandhi’s remarks, Singh claiming Gandhi had disseminated misconceptions about the budget to the public, and assured that Finance Minister Sitharaman would clarify and address the misleading allegations in her speech.
Gandhi had said when recently when an Agniveer had lost his life in a landmine blast, he was not given the status due to a martyr. He charged that even PM Modi called them Agniveers instead of calling the deceased Agniveer a martyr. “His family will not receive any pension or compensation for their loss. This Agnipath scheme regards them as labourers,” Gandhi stated, triggering protests from the treasury benches.
Singh said unlike Gandhi’s claims, the family of the Agniveer who perished in the line of duty was granted substantial compensation. He further added that Gandhi was misrepresenting facts to sway the House’s opinion.
Singh reiterated that Gandhi should not misrepresent facts in the House. He said as per Agniveer rules, a compensation of Rs 1 crore had been disbursed to the family of the deceased Agniveer.
Gandhi later referenced the case of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who died in the line of duty. Posting a video of Kumar’s father, he asserted that the family had not received any financial assistance from the central government and demanded facilities and a pension for them.
Ajay Kumar’s family subsequently clarified that they had received some compensation but were demanding martyr status for him.
The Agnipath scheme was conceived to enlist personnel for short-term service in the armed forces and to lower the age profile of candidates. Known as Agniveers, these individuals currently do not qualify for regular benefits such as pensions for their families in the event of their death in service.
The issue has incited broader discussions, with a parliamentary panel earlier recommending that families of Agniveers who die in the line of duty should receive benefits equivalent to those provided to families of regular military personnel.