Chidambaram challenges EC's directive, asserts Congress' right to criticize Agniveer scheme
May 23, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 23 : A day after the Election Commission of India directed the Congress to not "politicize" the defence forces by commenting on matters like agniveer, Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram, on Thursday said that the poll body is wrong in giving such directions, adding that it is the right of the opposition political party.
"ECI is wrong in directing the Congress party not to 'politicise' the Agniveer scheme. What does 'politicize' mean? Does the ECI mean 'criticise'? Agniveer is a scheme, a product of the policy of the government. It is the right of an Opposition political party to criticise a policy of the government and declare that, if voted to power, the scheme will be scrapped," Chidambaram wrote in a post on X.
Highlighting the flaws of the Agniveer scheme approved by the Union cabinet in June 2022, wherein selected candidates are enrolled as agniveers for a four year period, Chidambaram criticized the initiative by stating "Agniveer creates two categories of soldiers who fight together, and that is wrong Agniveer employs a young man for for four years and throws him out without a job and without a pension, and that is wrong".
"Agniveer was opposed by the Army, yet the government thrust the scheme upon the Army, and that is wrong. Hence, the Agniveer scheme must be scrapped," he added.
He further criticized the poll body, stating, "ECI was egregiously wrong in giving the direction to the Congress party and, as a citizen, it is my right to say that ECI was egregiously wrong".
The Election Commission of India, on Wednesday, issued formal notes to star campaigners of the BJP and Congress to correct their discourse, exercise care and maintain decorum.
While speaking on the Agniveer scheme, the poll body has asked the Congress campaigners or candidates not to politicise the defence forces and to not make potentially divisive statements regarding the socio-economic composition of the defence forces.
