Demanding rollback of the Agnipath scheme, Telangana Congress held a day-long deeksha at Gandhi Bhavan on Sunday.
The deeksha was addressed by Sangareddy legislator T. Jayaprakash Reddy, Manthani MLA D. Sreedhar Babu, senior leaders J. Geetha Reddy, Mahesh Kumar Goud, V. Hanumantha Rao, G. Chinna Reddy, and Mallu Ravi, among others. They termed the new scheme as the first step to outsource the Army.
Mr. Sreedhar Babu explained the dangers of part-time recruitment in Defence Forces and said that this would destroy professionalism and kill the commitment levels of youngsters. “Is it fair to ask soldiers to leave their job just after four years?” he asked. “It is time to save the Army from the Modi government,” he said.
‘Own up’
He also said that BJP should own responsibility for the death of Damera Rakesh, who was killed in the violence at Secunderabad Railway Station when youngsters were protesting against the scheme.
Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy condemned Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy’s statement that the protesters were Congress goons and said it was an insult to the youngsters of the country. He said Mr. Kishan Reddy and BJP president Bandi Sanjay should come to LB stadium and repeat the same if they had guts. “They have become so insensitive that they refuse to see reason in the protesters’ demands,” he said.
He also termed the TRS leaders’ behaviour as ‘cheap’ for covering the body of Rakesh with the party flag and wanted to know how he died.
Geetha Reddy said that the new scheme was nothing but the government escaping from its responsibility of taking care of soldiers and their families and denying them pension benefits. She said the new scheme would undermine national security.
V. Hanumantha Rao said that the dignity of youngsters was being robbed by the Modi government and the scheme was unfair. “Mr. Modi, who is selling everything that the Congress built, is trying to privatise the Army and benefit Ambani and Adani,” he alleged. He said the Parliament should discuss the issue before it is implemented.
“The scheme will not do well to the country’s security,” said Mallu Ravi, and added that Mr. Modi was trying to save money at the cost of the country’s security.
