Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab govt to bring resolution against Agnipath scheme as protests continue - Details

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has announced its intention to bring a resolution against the Centre's newly announced Agnipath scheme. The suggestion had initially been put forward by Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa who called for the CM to bring to bring a joint resolution in the current assembly session against the Agnipath scheme. Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma defended the initiative, alleging that the house was being misled over this issue.

"I am against this and I agree with you. When we think about the idea that a 17-year-old youth will join the defence forces, and most of them will return after mere four years of service. They will become 'ex' within four years without even any benefits that ex-servicemen are entitled to," Mann said today in response to Bajwa's suggestion.

"They brought farm laws, the CAA, now Agnipath, and every time they bring these laws they keep saying once people understand they will realise their benefits. Are they the only ones wise enough to understand everything? Those laws which people cannot understand should not be made," he added.

Several parts of the country witnessed protests after the announcement of the Agnipath scheme on June 14. The scheme seeks to recruit in the armed forces youths in the age bracket of 17-and-half to 21 years for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.

Earlier this month Chief Minister Mann had spoken via telephone with some youths as protests broke out against Agnipath in Jalandhar. The CM had advised them to hold their protests peacefully, and had assured them that the Aam Aadmi Party supports their demands and was in favour of rollback of the scheme.