Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked the Centre over the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, saying the country's security and the future of the youth are in danger with this "new experiment" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "laboratory"
Sixty soldiers retire every year, out of which only 3,000 are getting government jobs, Rahul said in a tweet in Hindi "What will be the future of thousands of 'Agniveers' retiring after 4-year contracts," the former Congress chief asked.
"With this new experiment of the Prime Minister's laboratory, both the security of the country and the future of the youth are in danger," the Congress leader said Several parts of country had witnessed protests after announcement of scheme that seeks to recruit youths between age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.
Opposition members, including KC Venugopal and Uttam Kumar Reddy, had on Friday walked out in protest from a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, alleging they were not allowed to discuss the Agnipath scheme.
Members of Congress and BSP urged Committee chairman Jual Oram to allow a discussion on Agnipath scheme, arguing it has huge implications and required parliamentary scrutiny but were denied.