Dehradun:

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said that the state government will bring a proposal for the reservation of Agniveers.

“Agniveeers from the state would be given jobs in the government departments and the Police Department after they serve the nation. The state government will also bring a proposal to the Cabinet for the reservation for Agniveers,” the Chief Minister said while addressing a press conference.

He said that the government had already decided to give the government jobs to Agniveers in the state. “When the Agniveer scheme was introduced, I met with various military officers and veterans for a discussion. We had decided back then that we would give jobs to the Agniveers,” the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of Guru Purnima, the Chief Minister along with his mother planted a tree under the campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’.

“To make nature greener, plant a tree in the name of your mother,” the Chief Minister wrote on X while joining the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign organised by MDDA in Dehradun.

He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, millions of trees have been planted across the country as a part of this campaign.

“This campaign symbolises respect for nature as well as for mothers. Let us all fulfil our responsibilities towards nature by planting trees and take a pledge to protect nature,” the Chief Minister added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pathankot:

Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his recent remarks about cancelling the Agniveer scheme if his party comes to power.

Asked about Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the Agniveer scheme has made soldiers mere labourers, General Singh (Retd) said, “I want to advise Rahul Gandhi that he must serve in the Army first and then make any statement about the Agniveer scheme. It is not right to say anything if he does not know the Army.”

He also alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a habitual liar. “It is Arvind Kejriwal’s quality that he lies in such a way that he is speaking the truth. But the people can see the truth,” he added.

Earlier on May 22, Rahul Gandhi accused the PM Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre of turning India’s soldiers into labourers and promised to scrap the Agniveer scheme after coming to power on June 4.

Addressing a public rally in Haryana’s Mahendragarh, the Congress leader said the youth of Haryana and other states secure India’s borders.

“You have patriotism in your heart, blood, and DNA. Narendra Modi ji, for the first time, has turned India’s soldiers into labourers. He (PM Modi) says that there will be two kinds of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country – one, a normal jawan or officer whose family will get a pension, status, and all other facilities and the other, a poor family’s son who is named Agniveer. This Agniveer will neither get the status of ‘shaheed‘ nor any pension or any other facility,” Rahul Gandhi said.

He further said that after June 4, the INDIA bloc would tear this Agniveer scheme into pieces and dump it in the dustbin.

“The Army does not want this scheme… it is imposed by the PMO. The INDIA bloc government will come to power and the first thing we shall do is throw this Agniveer scheme in the dustbin… We are going to tear this Agniveer scheme into pieces and dump it in the dustbin,” the Congress MP said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is spreading false propaganda on the Agniveer military recruitment scheme.

Mr Gandhi, in his first election meeting in Haryana for the Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday, had said that the Agniveer scheme would be scrapped and thrown in the dustbin if the INDIA bloc came to power. 

Mr Shah said that 25 per cent of the Agniveers would get permanent postings in the Army, while reservations in state government and paramilitary forces would be given to the remaining 75 per cent. Therefore, there would be a rare Agniveer who would not be employed, the home minister said.

Talking to reporters in Dharamshala, Mr Shah said that Mr Gandhi was spreading false propaganda on Agniveer and making an issue by telling lies. “Rahul has started a tradition of making lies a poll issue and Agniveer is the biggest example,” the BJP leader said.

“25 per cent of the Agniveers would get permanent posting in the Army. The BJP-ruled state governments have made 10-20 per cent reservation in the police for Agniveer besides 10 per cent reservation has also been made in the central paramilitary forces,” Mr Shah said.

The Agniveers have been given several relaxations like in age, examination and would also not appear in the physical test, he said, adding that there would be a rare Agniveer who would not be recruited in the state police or central paramilitary forces.

Moreover, private security agencies and companies would also give priority to Agniveers, who would be trained on government expenses, would get a good salary, gratuity and other benefits and also a job, Mr Shah said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)