PM making his friends 'daulatveer', youth made 'Agniveers': Rahul Gandhi

Using wordplay to slam the BJP over the Agnipath scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making his friends "daulatveer' by handing airports to them for 50 years while making youths 'Agniveers' on a four-year contract.

The former Congress chief's attack came on a day the party's leaders and activists observed a "peaceful Satyagraha" in all assembly constituencies to demand a withdrawal of the new military recruitment scheme.

"The prime minister is making his friends 'daulatveer' (rich) by handing them country's airports for 50 years while making youths 'Agniveers' on a four-year contract," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The Congress party is doing #SatyagrahaForYouth against Agnipath across the country today. This satyagraha will not stop until the youth get justice," he said.

Several states witnessed protests, including unbridled violence, after the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed forces was announced on June 14. It envisages recruiting youths in the age bracket of 17-and-half to 21 years for 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.

The Congress had observed a peaceful satyagraha at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi as well as in various states on the issue on June 20.

Congress MPs had also taken out a peaceful march from Parliament. A delegation of senior leaders submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind requesting him to withdraw the controversial scheme. The president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.