There is a lot of misinformation about Agnipath. The government had consulted with officers and veterans. It is a well thought out scheme, he said.
As Bihar and many other states see violent protests against the newly announced Agnipath scheme,BJP is eager to defend it. Amit Shah has even announced a 10% reservation for Agniveer cadets. The government has also allowed for a one time relaxation of three years in the upper age limit of the cadets. So far the government is in no mood to revoke its scheme. Yesterday BJP’s National Spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan spoke to the Indian Express. Paswan too defended the Agnipath scheme saying it as “well thought out.”There is a lot of “misinformation going on about Agnipath”, Paswan said. The government has consulted extensively with former Army officers and servicemen before devising the scheme. The centre has also raised the age limit now. There are also plans about the jobs that 75% Agniveers would get after their stint in the armed forces. Several states have assured the government of inducting them in the police, he claimed.
We have full Support of Youth, Paswan says
The government’s Agnipath scheme has currently riled up youngsters who want permanent jobs in the armed forces.They say that the government shouldn’t play with their emotions. Military service passion and high stakes, including a cadet’s life. The BJP National Spokesperson seemed to placate such opinions. “In the last eight years, lot of attempts have been made to cater to youth interest. The centre has done a phenomenal job. Our two victories in the general elections and also in several states show our government’s popularity. We have full support of youth as we brought schemes like start-up and mudra loan scheme.Our government has provided more government jobs than the UPA government. Besides, the NDA government has now announced to provide 10 lakh jobs,” he said.Paswan even claimed that the protests are not “reflective of mood of entire youth” “We are certainly concerned about youth and they can put up their concerns before the authorities. But these protests are not reflective of mood of entire youth. Infact, they are a major stakeholder in the government with several welfare schemes. Certain opposition leaders are trying to foment trouble. But government’s scale of work doesn’t leave room for cynicism,“ he said.
Relook, says JDU leader, Agree to Disagree, says Paswan
Indian Express has also interviewed JD(U)’s National Spokesperson KC Tyagi on his party’s stand regarding the protests. Tyagi wanted the government to review the scheme and involve everyone in the process. “There is an urgent need for communication with protesting youths. Retired officers of armed forces, youth representatives and government should sit together to review the scheme. We are not asking for its withdrawal but a relook at the scheme”, he said. Defence jobs are the biggest poverty eradication programme besides giving soldiers the opportunity to serve with passion. BJP government is hurting youth sentiments with a short tenure job. Instead, It should look at the matter sympathetically and holistically, Tyagi also claimed. Meanwhile, Paswan agreed to disagree. “Our relations are very old. JDU is one of our oldest allies. We fought the 2020 Bihar assembly elections under Nitish Kumar’s leadership and PM Modi’s mentorship. Nitish Kumar would remain CM till the rest of his term. As for difference of opinions, we are different political parties and come from different moorings. In any case, dissent is a healthy sign in a democratic setup, ”Paswan remarked. Hours after the interviews ,both BJP and JD(U) are spurring over the protests in Bihar. In Bihar, the regional BJP head Sanjay Jaiswal blames the JD(U) administration for mismanaging protests. On the other hand, local JD(U) chief Rajiv Ranjan lashed out at BJP. Last time the three farm bills had created a rift between the BJP and its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab. How does BJP contain disaffection among its Bihar ally is yet to be seen.
(inputs, Indian Express, Economic Times)
