Stepping up its attack on Government over the 'Agnipath' scheme, the Congress on Sunday said Modi Government is playing with the future of the youth by bringing in the new military recruitment plan.The party asked Government to withdraw this "Tughlaqi" decision.
Twenty senior Congress leaders, including former Union Ministers and spokespersons, addressed press conferences titled 'Agnipath ki Baat: Yuwaon se Vishwasghaat' in as many cities and demanded the withdrawal of the scheme, citing risk to national security and discontent among the youth.
The party said it will also hold a nationwide protest in every assembly constituency against this "anti-youth and anti-national" scheme "bulldozed through without discussion". Addressing a press conference in the national Capital, Congress spokesperson Shakti sinh Gohil said the Congress is standing with the youth and this "Tughlaqi decision" should be withdrawn immediately. “At a time when China has entered our borders... this ('Agnipath' scheme) is like playing with national security," Gohil said.
"I demand from the prime minister that 'Agnipath' be withdrawn and all those ministers or BJP spokespersons who say that the 'Agnipath' scheme is good, they should get their sons and daughters recruited under the 'Agnipath' scheme," he said.
Gohil also demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya's remarks apparently suggesting that he will give priority to 'Agniveers' for security jobs at his party office. "The leader who said that Agniveers will be employed in BJP offices as guards should be sacked by the prime minister and the PM must apologise," Gohil said.
Addressing a press conference at the PCC headquarters in Jaipur, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana Deepender Singh Hooda also attacked the Centre over the 'Agnipath' scheme and called the government a "copycat" for importing ideas from foreign nations to draft policies.
"The Government has adopted the attitude of a 'Nakalchi Bandar (copycat)' but this is Hindustan. Sometimes it gives the example of America in the context of agriculture laws and at other times talks about Israel in reference to military service," he said.
Several parts of the country witnessed protests after the announcement of the 'Agnipath' scheme on June 14. Others who address the Press conferences were at Shimla by Alok Sharma; Dehradun - Manvendra Singh; Chandigarh - Ranjeet Ranjan, MP; Jaipur - Deepender Singh Hooda, MP; Ahmedabad: Alka Lamba; Mumbai - Supriya Shrinate; Bengaluru, former HRD Minister MM. Pallam Raju; Chennai - Gaurav Gogoi, MP; Hyderabad - Naseer Hussain, MP.
The Congress has demanded a rollback of the scheme. Earlier a seven-member Congress delegation led by Leader of Opposition (LoP) and including two Chief Ministers met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum with two demands in connection with the army recruitment scheme 'Agnipath' and police action during Congress' protest.