In the first sign that the Narendra Modi government’s third term will be very different from the first two, a top Janata Dal United (JDU) leader has said the party will seek a review of the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.
KC Tyagi, chief spokesperson of BJP ally JDU and among the closest aides of its chief Nitish Kumar, has said there is resentment against the scheme in several states. “There is resentment, so we will seek a review of Agniveer. We are not opposing it,” he said.
Launched in 2022, Agnipath scheme provides for short-term induction of personnel into the armed forces with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services.
Under the scheme, youngsters in the 17.5 years-21 years age group are inducted for a four-year period. There is a provision to retain 25 per cent of these recruits for 15 more years.
The veteran politician also said a nationwide caste survey must be held and Bihar should get a special status. Significantly, a nationwide caste survey was one of the key poll planks of the INDIA Opposition bloc. Also, the Nitish Kumar government that was backed by the RJD and Congress had conducted a caste survey in the state before the JDU chief switched sides and joined hands with the NDA.
