PM Modi Defends Agnipath Scheme

Against Opposition Criticism

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the controversy surrounding the Agnipath Scheme, accusing the opposition of politicizing a critical issue related to India’s defense and security. His remarks came after a visit to the Kargil War Memorial in Dras (Ladakh), where he commemorated the 25th anniversary of Vijay Diwas and paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1999 war.

During his speech, PM Modi highlighted the necessity of the Agnipath Scheme as a reform to keep the Indian Armed Forces young and ready for battle. “The Agnipath Scheme is an example of the reforms that are necessary for our forces. For decades, debates and discussions have been held on how to ensure that the Armed Forces stay young and always battle-ready. The average age of an Indian soldier is higher than the global average, which is a concern. Various committees discussed this, but no government expressed the willingness to take the right step,” he stated.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the Agnipath Scheme directly addresses this issue, aiming to maintain the vitality and preparedness of the military. He criticized the opposition for spreading misinformation and politicizing the scheme. “Unfortunately, some for their personal gains are playing politics over the issue. They are the same people who were involved in various defense-related scams and weakened our forces. They are the same people who never wanted the Air Force to get modern fighter jets. They are the same people who were planning to put the Tejas fighter plane project in deep freeze,” Modi asserted.

PM Modi also countered claims that the Agnipath Scheme was a cost-saving measure for the government. He posed a rhetorical question to his critics: “Some people are spreading lies about the Agnipath Scheme that the government is doing this to save money. But I want to ask them – the question of the pension issue will arise after 30 years. Why would the government take the decision today? It could have left it for the future government. But, we respected the decision of the forces because, for us, it is not politics… for us, the security of the country comes first.”

The Prime Minister further accused the opposition of historically neglecting the welfare of soldiers and the defense sector. “Those who are trying to mislead the youths, history has shown that they never bothered about the soldiers. They spoke lies about one rank one pension. It’s my government that implemented the one rank one pension scheme. It is the same people who did not build the National War Memorial in the past seven decades. They are the same people who did not get a sufficient number of bulletproof jackets for our soldiers.”

PM Modi’s defense of the Agnipath Scheme and his pointed criticism of the opposition highlight the ongoing debate about military reforms in India. His remarks underscore the government’s commitment to ensuring the preparedness and modernization of the Indian Armed Forces, despite political challenges and opposition rhetoric.

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Launched in 2022, the Agnipath scheme was designed to recruit personnel for short-term service in the armed forces, aimed at reducing the age profile across the services.