"People Say No One Will Marry Their Sons": Akhilesh Yadav Ally On Agnipath

Rajya Sabha member Jayant Chaudhary says Agnipath scheme will have to be rolled back as "that's the only rational choice"

Urging the protesters to shun violence and get organised so that the government hears them clearly, Rajya Sabha member Jayant Chaudhary said on Friday that the Agnipath scheme will have to be rolled back. "That's the only rational choice," said the Rashtriya Lok Dal leader, a prominent opposition figure with support base in western Uttar Pradesh, a major catchment area for armed forces' recruitment.

Speaking with NDTV, Mr Chaudhary said the government needs to be sensitive in how it handles the protesting aspirants "who feel hopeless now". "There has been no army recruitment since 2019. Young people were already frustrated and the four-year hiring scheme has made it worse," said Mr Chaudhary, part of an alliance led by Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav.

"In the villages, people say 'no one will marry our sons now'... (as) these are not permanent jobs," he replied, when asked about the mood of his region. "People are saying that the government was delaying recruitment on purpose, as it was planning this scheme all along. The government thought there will be more desperate aspirants because of the long gap, and there will be a groundswell of support once the scheme comes. The opposite has happened."

The scheme, announced on June 14, is for hiring young men and women aged 17.5 to 21 for all three services for four years, after which up to 25 per cent may be absorbed for regular commission of 15 years. The government has raised the upper age limit to 23 for this year as there have been no recruitments for two years owing to the Covid pandemic.