BJP seeks NIA action against Congress Chhattisgarh MLA for 'instigating tribal youth' against Agnipath Scheme

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 29 : BJP has written to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) urging it to take cognisance of a video showing a Congress MLA in Chhattisgarh allegedly inciting violence during the protest against the Centre's Agnipath military recruitment scheme.
BJP Chhattisgarh chief Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday wrote to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), demanding an investigation against Vikram Shah Mandavi, Congress MLA from Bijapur, for allegedly instigating tribal youth against the Agnipath scheme.
He also alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to instigate violence in the name of the Agnipath scheme in the state.
"The statement of Mandavi, who represents a tribal-dominated and Naxal-affected area, is an attempt to provoke innocent tribals to commit violence. His act is clearly anti-national. The NIA should take suo moto cognizance and investigate Congress' role in well-planned violence that happened during the protest against Agnipath," Sai wrote in the letter.
Mandavi allegedly asked the youth to protest against the Centre's Agnipath military recruitment scheme in a manner similar to Bihar by setting vehicles on fire and causing other violent incidents.
On June 17, the three chiefs of Indian Defence services hailed the decision of the Central government to approve the Agnipath Scheme, a recruitment process for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces.
"The Government has announced Agnipath scheme under which youth will be able to join armed forces. The age criteria will be 17.5 to 21 years. Happy to announce that for the first recruitment, the upper age limit has been revised to 23 years. It will benefit the youth. Air Force recruitment will begin on June 24," the Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said in a virtual address.
The Agnipath Scheme, which was approved by the cabinet on June 14, was launched in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing criticism, the Centre decided to granting a one-time waiverand on June 16 announced that the upper age limit for recruitments via Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21 years.
COVID-19 halted the Army's recruitment for over two years. In 2019-2020, the Army recruited jawans and there has been no entry since then. On the other hand, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force had both recruited in the last two years respectively.
The Ministry of Defence, in its statement in June 2022, said that the Agnipath scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces.
It will provide an opportunity to the youth who may be keen to don the uniform by attracting young talent from the society who are more in tune with contemporary technological trends and plough back skilled, disciplined and motivated manpower into the society.