Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for asking caste and religion in the Agnipath recruitment scheme.
Sharing a screenshot of a notification, Yadav said, “Agniveers will be sorted out or filtered out based on caste. Don’t ask the caste of the monk But ask the caste of the soldier. The BJP government of the Sangh runs away from the caste census but asks for caste from the Agniveer brothers, who gave their lives for the country’s service. These castes are being asked because the country’s largest casteist organisation RSS will later sort out Agniveers based on caste.”
Earlier on June 14, the cabinet approved the Agnipath scheme to change the recruitment process in Armed Forces. Despite facing criticism, the ruling party decided to bring change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers.
Under this, the youth will get employment and an opportunity to serve the country. Talking about the scheme, the Defense Minister said that this would not only give youth experience but also open up new employment opportunities.
According to the ability, the army will also retain the Agniveers, and the youth with the capability will be given more opportunities in the military. After completing the tenure of four years, Agniveer will also be able to serve as a volunteer.