Centre, CMs defend Agnipath scheme, urge students not to be 'deceived'

Amid students' protests over the Agnipath scheme for recruitment into the armed forces, Union ministers and chief ministers of the BJP-led states defended the step on Thursday, saying it will open new avenues for youngsters, and urged them to keep away from those inciting them.

Union minister Ashwini Choubey, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Bihar where the protests started on Wednesday, claimed that some people are using students for their own political gains, an apparent reference to the opposition parties that have criticised the scheme for short-term contractual employment in the armed forces as soldiers.

In a statement, Choubey said Prime Minister Narendra Modi always thinks and works for the welfare of the country.

"We assure you that this programme is a constructive step to bring in long-term positive results. Lakhs of youngsters will not only benefit from this, but the nationalistic sentiments within them will also be strengthened," he said.

Those selected under the scheme will get priority in central and state government jobs, he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the scheme is a grand campaign for developing skilled manpower in the country.

Describing the scheme as "historic", Tomar said, "It will open new avenues for youngsters and pave the way for their better future."

Similarly, Yogi Adityanath and Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, also assured the students that they will give "preference" to "Agniveers" for selection in their respective state police forces and other jobs.

"Agnipath Yojana will give a new dimension to youngsters' lives. It will lay a golden base for their future," Adityanath said in a tweet, while urging young people not to be deceived.

Underlining that the Uttarakhand government is committed to providing employment opportunities to youngsters, Dhami urged them to stay away from any kind of misleading news.