A day after industry leaders backed the Centre’s Agnipath scheme, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said they should walk the talk by first employing already retired soldiers. Mr. Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, alleged that Agnipath scheme has been rolled out to train the youth to "secure" industrialists.
He also asked the ruling BJP to release a list of the supporters who will be sending their children to the armed forces under the initiative. Mr. Yadav's remarks came a day after Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka and Biocon Limited chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said the scheme has large potential for the employment of the youth in the corporate sector.
The Centre had last week announced its ambitious Agnipath scheme, triggering protests across the country. Under the scheme, the youth aged between 17 and a half years and 23 will be recruited in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force on a four-year short-term contractual basis. The youth recruited under the scheme will be known as "Agniveers". Mr. Yadav said they will send the supporters of the scheme a list of retired soldiers for employment.
