Agnipath scheme is an election gimmick: MPCC
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 19 2022:
Taking a dig at the Agnipath scheme launched by the BJP-led NDA Government to recruit youth in the defence forces for a short term, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has termed the same scheme as a gimmick aimed at garnering more votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to media persons at Congress Bhavan here today, MPCC General Secretary Dr S Manaoton noted that the Central Govt has announced its decision to recruit 10 lakh youth in the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Aggrieved by the Agni-path scheme, a large number of people have launched strong protest movements in different parts of the country, Dr Manaoton said.
Even as Prime Minister Narendra was promising that better days would be coming and had announced several schemes during the last eight years, the benefits of these schemes have not yet reached the grassroots level, he said.
Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi made bold declarations during every election that two crore youth would be given employment every year, the number of unemployed people has been only multiplying in the country, he said.
In Manipur too, the BJP-led Government's declara- tion to give employment to 1.5 lakh youth in a year has come to nought, he said.
While many schemes supposedly meant for people's welfare have failed to deliver their purposes, the State has now around 10 lakh unemployed youth, Dr Manaoton said.
People can now see through that Agnipath scheme is an election gimmick aimed at securing more votes in the next Lok Sabha election.
That is why, a large number of people have been protesting vehemently against the scheme, he said.
He remarked that Agnipath scheme would only deceive the youth.
The drastic move of demonetisation did not bring any benefit to the masses.
The three Farm Laws introduced by the BJP-led NDA Government were ultimately withdrawn following sustained protests by farmers, he said.
Even though BJP was saying that the anti-Agnipath protests were instigated and fuelled by Congress, now similar protests have erupted in many BJP-ruled States too, Dr Manaoton said.
Maintaining that the Agnipath scheme would jeopardise the National Education Policy, the MPCC General Secretary remarked that the BJP-led NDA Government has reduced the Class XII examination to mockery by announcing that the youth recruited under Agnipath would be given academic certificates equivalent to that of Class XII on completion of training.