Rahul Gandhi targets Centre over Agniveer scheme, says "India's soldiers turned into labourers"

Patna (Bihar) [India], May 27 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre of turning India's soldiers into labourers and promised to scrap the Agniveer scheme after coming to power on June 4.
Talking to the media after addressing a public rally in Bakhtiyarpur, the Congress leader said, "Through the Agniveer scheme, they (Centre) have made the soldiers of India as labourers. We will cancel Agniveer and will do it like it used to happen before. Every youth of India knows that the meaning of Agniveer is to make the soldiers of India labourers".
The Agnipath scheme is the short-term defence recruitment model unveiled by the Centre in June 2022.
The Agnipath scheme was announced by the Centre in June 2022. This scheme seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them in regular service. Those recruited under the scheme are called 'Agniveers'.
While addressing the public rally, Gandhi took a swipe over PM Modi's remarks in a recent TV interview and said that after the election when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would question Narendra Modi about Adani, he would say that it was asked to him by Parmatma.
"You know why he (PM Modi) has brought this story of Parmatma? Because, after the election when this ED will ask Narendra Modi about Adani, he will say, I don't know, it was asked to me by Parmatma," he said.
The Congress leader's statement comes after PM Modi had said in an interview with a news channel that till his mother was alive, he felt that perhaps his birth was biological and after her demise when he connects various experiences, he is convinced that God has sent him.
Hitting out at PM Modi over unemployment, Rahul Gandhi said, "Modi ji, stop giving long speeches and dividing the country. First, tell this to the people of Bihar, of the country, how many jobs you have given to the youth of the country?"
"Narendra Modi has made 22-25 Raja and Maharaja. Their names are different. Their new names are Adani and Ambani, but they are Raja and Narendra Modi works 24 hrs for them," he added.
Under the INDIA alliance agreement in Bihar, the RJD is vying for 26 seats, Congress for nine, and the Left parties for the remaining five out of the state's 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.
While, in the NDA, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest on 17 seats, Janata Dal-United (JDU) on 16 seats, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) (Ram Vilas) on 5 seats, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Morcha on one seat each in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Elections in Bihar are contested in all seven phases. With 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, the fourth highest among all States and Union Territories, Bihar holds a crucial position in shaping Indian politics.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA, consisting of BJP, JDU ( (Janata Dal-United), and LJP (Lok Janshakti Party), secured victory by taking the lead on 39 out of 40 seats. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal), INC (Indian National Congress), and RLSP (Rashtriya Lok Samta Party), only managed to secure one seat.