‘Agneepath’ Undermines National Security, Must be Withdrawn: Uttam

Hyderabad/New Delhi, June 19 (Maxim News): Congress MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy today said the Agneepath scheme introduced by the BJP Government for recruitment in the armed forces undermines national security and it is unfair and unjust to the youth of India. Therefore, he demanded that the Agnipath scheme be withdrawn immediately.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force, was addressing the Congress Satyagraha in Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday to express solidarity with the students and youth protesting against the Agneepath Scheme.

Senior leaders, including AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, Sachin Pilot, Deepender Hooda and others participated and spoke in the Satyagraha.

“By introducing the Agneepath scheme, the BJP Govt has tried to compromise on national security. The scheme is also unfair and unjust to the lakhs of youth, who were looking forward to a career of honour and dignity in the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

They are now feeling cheated,” he added. Stating that he was an ex-serviceman himself, Uttam Kumar said he flew the MIG-21 and MIG-23 as the fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force.

“I’m deeply alarmed that the Agneepath scheme, besides being very unfair and unjust to the youth of India, undermines national security.

This is undoubtedly ill-conceived and poorly planned. It lowers the morale of the armed forces. The way it is being conceived, the armed forces are not going to do well on the front as they should be,” he said.

Sharing some statistics, Uttam said the armed forces recruit about 60,000 people annually regularly.

He said there has been no recruitment in the Army, Navy or the Air Force for the last two to two-and-a-half years.

Therefore, as against the sanctioned strength of about 13 lakh, there are nearly 1.30 lakh vacancies in the armed forces.

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