Congress members demand revocation of Agnipath scheme

They stage demonstrations at different places in Madurai

Congress party members staged demonstrations at different places in the city on Monday against ‘Agnipath’ scheme announced by the Union government.

Over 300 Congress cadre staged demonstrations at Tallakulam Post Office, BSNL office at Ellis Nagar, Jhansi Rani Park on Dindigul Road, South Gate and near 16-Pillar Mandapam in Tiruparankundram.

District Congress party president V. Karthikeyan said the scheme was a disastrous move, wrecking the dreams of youngsters to enter the defence forces to protect the country and attain high ranks. “We do not see this scheme providing job guarantee. Instead, it sounds like a pipeline scheme to recruit candidates for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” he said.

“A mere training for six months and a service period of three and a half years will not benefit the youth as well as the government,” said Mr. Karthikeyan.

When a youth came out of service after four years, several commitments would await him and without job assurance, how would he face them, he wondered.

“Though private companies come up with assurance of offering them jobs, all we see is uncertainty. Hence we call for immediate revocation of the scheme,” he said.

Holding placards, the protestors raised slogans against the scheme and the Union government and condemned the attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s MP office at Kalpettah in Wayanad allegedly by Students Federation of India activists on Friday.