CHANDIGARH: Meghalaya governor Satyapal Malik, who was vocal on the farmers' issue, has come out openly against the Centre's much touted 'Agnipath' scheme, which provides short-term employment in the armed forces. Malik, who visited a few villages of Panipat district in Haryana on Sunday to attend a felicitation ceremony organised in his honour by a farmers' union for supporting their cause during the agitation against the Centre's three agri-marketing laws, said he is against this scheme.
Appealing to the youth to prepare to fight against 'Agnipath', he said, "I want to say something to the youngsters. I felt pity when I found them running on the pavement of canals to get recruited into the armed forces. What kind of recruitment are they getting after such a struggle? If they want a good recruitment process into the armed forces, they have to fight. I will also fight with them. If they will fight on this issue (Agnipath scheme), it will be true 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'."
Malik said the scheme was against the armed forces and its personnel. Quoting Param Vir Chakra awardee Yogendra Yadav, Malik said the new scheme had no future for soldiers and they would be left for security guards jobs.
