RAIPUR: Demanding immediate withdrawal of the Centre’s "Agnipath" scheme, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the Union government was toying with the security of the nation as well as the life of youths. Baghel questioned the intentions of Centre in introducing such a scheme for military recruitment.
Chief minister was reacting to the scheme that was announced on Tuesday by the Centre stating youths between 17 and 21 years of age would be inducted as Agniveer’s in military for a tenure of four years and of the total recruited, 25 per cent would be retained as regular candidates. Few hours later, the Centre announced of raising the upper age limit for recruitment to 23 years for only the current financial year.
Speaking to reporters in state capital on Friday, CM Baghel said, "The youth who would be trained with ammunitions, have chances they indulge in criminal activities after the complete the tenure of four years and go jobless. What is the reason that Centre isn’t giving a full-time recruitment? It is trying to convey it doesn’t have enough money for proper recruitment in the army that is supposed to guard the country? It is like playing with the future of youths as well as the borders and security of the nation by inducting youths in armed forces who will join it with so much enthusiasm."
He also condemned the BJP-ruled states for announcing that the youths after four years of service in "Agniveer" would be given the priority in recruitment of police and such services.
CM said that there’s a difference between army and police professions as police maintain law and order situations, army involves defence and know only friends and foe, they fight only to eliminate enemies. Both can’t be associated with each other, Baghel said, adding that the training, protocols differ.
Sharply reacting to the move, CM alleged, “You should issue a white paper in this situation where on one hand, you say you don’t have money for recruitment in army and on the other you have been selling country’s assets. Why is the Centre trying to mislead people by saying Agniveers will be preferred in police recruitment, how would they absorb all the Agniveers after completion of four years of their service? What if all of them do not get jobs? If they are left unattended, they can indulge in criminal activities. Centre’s intension doesn’t seem good with their decision.”
