The ruling coalition partner of the Bhartiya Janata Party, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) has demanded a reconsideration of the Centre’s Agniveer scheme for recruitment into the Defence forces. This is so because the Lok Sabha election results announced on Wednesday have limited the BJP to only 240 seats, 32 short of the clear majority required to form a government on its own under Narendra Modi.
#WATCH | Delhi: On JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi’s statement on the Agniveer Scheme, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal says, “A lot of people are unsatisfied with this scheme and I think the elections have put a lot of impact on the Agniveer scene, especially in Uttar Pradesh and some… https://t.co/tjQUERDqW6 pic.twitter.com/qXD6ipOhyd
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2024
Speaking to ANI, JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi said, “A section of voters has been upset over the Agniveer scheme. Our party wants those shortcomings questioned by the public should be debated and addressed. ”
Tyagi clarified that his party never opposed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The CM had written to the Law Commission chief on the UCC when he was the national president of the party. We are not against it, but there has to be a way of coming up with a solution by consulting those who will be affected.
However, the senior JD(U) reaffirmed his call for caste-based census and also sought special status in Bihar.
“None of the parties in the country has said no to caste-based census. Bihar has set a precedent. The PM also did not object to the all-party delegation. The caste-based census is the need of the hour. We will continue to push for it. ”
#WATCH | JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi says, “A section of voters has been upset over the Agniveer scheme. Our party wants those shortcomings which have been questioned by the public to be discussed in detail and removed…On UCC, as the national president of the party, CM had… pic.twitter.com/KBKbmJHXZL
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2024
He also said, “There is no precondition. There is unconditional support. But Bihar has been given the special status which is something that we have in our hearts.
The INDIA bloc in their recent pre-election campaign also rejected the Agniveer scheme and pledged to dismantle it once they are in power. Recently, the Indian Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appealed to President Droupadi Murmu with a request to intervene in the situation regarding the Agnipath scheme to discuss counter what he named ‘discrimination’ in the state’s policy providing benefits to the families of the deceased soldiers.
The demand for caste census has also been one of the main reasons to oppose the current government and Bihar also conducted one under Nitish Kumar when he was chief minister of Bihar under the Mahagathbandhan government.
The permanent side of the force, called Agnipath, aims to recruit personnel between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 years for a four-year term while the government plans to retain 25 percent of these recruits for an additional 15 years in the force.
The Government of India has always supported the scheme, with Union Guruter Home Minister Amit Shah vigorously endorsing the scheme because of its allure to youths as it secures employment for a complete term once the youths have spent four years in the armed forces.
#WATCH | On JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi’s statement on the Agniveer scheme, newly elected Congress MP Deepender Hooda says, “The whole country is against it. What JD(U) has said is correct…” pic.twitter.com/msB945komO
— ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2024
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Anil Chauhan, said that a young profile is enriching in shaping a young and dynamic military force. He said the scheme is empowering the youth as it provides skills that can transform the nation thus helping in nation-building through preparing skilled, disciplined, and motivated youth.
Narendra Modi And BJP’s Top Brass Held Meetings with Other NDA Leaders On Wednesday, After They Won A Majority In The Lok Sabha. To further seal the above belief, the NDA leaders then chose him as the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate to lead the fourth phase of the Modi government, which would follow the completion of the previous third phase.
JD(U) is now BJP’s second-largest partner with 12 MPs, while the Telugu Desam Party remains the largest with 16 MPs. They will, therefore, be keen to maintain good relations with these two parties hence depending on them for its existence, especially the new BJP-led federal government.
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