BJP spokesman Guru Prakash Paswan interview: ‘Agnipath won’t be rolled back, it’s a well-thought-out scheme… these protests not reflective of entire youth mood’
"There has been a lot of misinformation going on about Agnipath. There have been extensive consultations with former Army officers and servicemen before devising the scheme. It is a well-thought-out scheme."
The countrywide protests against Agnipath — the Centre’s recently-unveiled scheme for short-term contractual recruitment of soldiers in the armed forces — have been most widespread in Bihar. Amid the intensifying stir against the scheme, the BJP’s national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan speaks to The Indian Express on a range of issues including the key ally Janata Dal (United)’s reservation against Agnipath, youth anger, and the party-led central government’s employment drive. Excerpts:
Don’t you think the Centre got it wrong by curtailing the tenure of a soldier’s job from over 15 years to just 4 years, which seems to be the main angst of protesting youth and students?
There has been a lot of misinformation going on about Agnipath. There have been extensive consultations with former Army officers and servicemen before devising the scheme. It is a well-thought-out scheme. The Centre has raised age limit now. There are also clear-cut plans about the jobs that 75 per cent Agniveers (recruits) would get after completion of their stint in defence forces. Several states have also come up with assurances about giving priority to Agniveers in state police jobs.
Students say the Centre must not play with their emotions and that defence forces recruitment rules should not be changed as it involves passion and high stakes including one’s life?
In the last eight years (of BJP-led NDA rule), a lot of attempts have been made to cater to youth interest. The Centre has done a phenomenal job. Our two victories in general elections and also in several state elections, in which we also got some thumping mandates, show our government’s popularity. We have full support of youth as we brought schemes like start-up and Mudra loan schemes. Our government has provided more government jobs so far than those given in the entire UPA government’s tenure. Besides, the NDA government has now announced to provide 10 lakh jobs.
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