Stepping up its attack on the Union government over the 'Agnipath' military recruitment scheme, the Congress on Monday alleged that a "gross injustice" was being done to the youth and said it would revert to the old recruitment scheme if voted to power at the Centre.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu highlighting the "gross injustice" done to youth seeking regular employment in the armed forces due to the 'Agnipath' scheme and urged her to ensure justice for them.
The future of nearly two million young men and women has become uncertain due to the cancellation of the regular recruitment process in the armed forces, Kharge said in his letter to the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot said there was no demand for such a scheme.
"In the long run, this system will not benefit anyone except saving money for the Government of India. We in the Congress party feel that we should go back to the old recruitment system," Pilot said.
If some changes are to be introduced to modernize the armed forces, it is very possible in the current set-up, but to completely eradicate the old system is not right, he added.
"It closes the avenues to employment. I think it has been done in an ad-hoc manner, without much thought about the future prospects of how the military will function. We in the Congress party believe that the Agnipath program is not a positive development." and we will definitely go back to the old recruiting system when the people vote us off,” Pilot said.
Congress leader Deepender Hooda also hit out at the Bhartiya Janata Party-led Centre, wondering who called for such a plan.
Hooda said that the Congress is demanding the abolition of the system and a return to the old recruitment process.
In June 2022, the government introduced the "Agnipath" recruitment program for short-term induction of personnel into the armed forces to reduce the age profile of the three services.
The program allows for the recruitment of young people in the age category of 17 and a half to 21 years for a period of four years, with the provision that 25 percent of them will be retained for another 15 years.
