Pauri Garhwal (Uttarakhand) June 4
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday reiterated the Congress party’s opposition to the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme, saying it had weakened the traditional bond between soldiers and the government, and promised that the scheme would be scrapped once Congress came to power at the Centre. Addressing an ex-servicemen’s meeting in Pauri Garhwal through video conferencing after bad weather prevented him from reaching the venue, Gandhi apologised for his absence and said adverse flying conditions had forced his helicopter to return despite several attempts to proceed.
Welcoming ex-servicemen and senior leaders present at the gathering, Gandhi praised Uttarakhand’s long-standing contribution to the armed forces, saying the state had historically supplied soldiers who had served the nation in wars, border conflicts and military operations across diverse terrains. Rahul Gandhi said service in the armed forces was rooted in patriotism and sacrifice and was governed by an “unwritten contract” between soldiers and the government. He noted, soldiers dedicate their lives to protecting the country, its Constitution and borders, while the government is expected to provide security and support to them and their families in return.
The senior Congress leader said that the BJP government had violated this understanding through the implementation of the Agniveer scheme. “Congress believes that young people who aspire to join the armed forces and dedicate themselves to national service deserve security, dignity and a guaranteed future. Their families must also be protected,” he said, adding that the party remained committed to cancelling the scheme if voted to power.
Gandhi observed that the scheme had been introduced to reduce expenditure on soldiers’ welfare and pensions and redirect resources towards large corporate interests. He accused the government of weakening public sector defence enterprises and favouring a handful of industrial groups in defence procurement and contracts. Referring to a recent interaction with representatives of ex-servicemen, Gandhi said that concerns had been raised over the withdrawal of disability pension-related benefits, particularly tax exemptions, and other issues affecting veterans. He also criticised the government over the flawed and unsatisfactorybimplementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP), and alleged that the interests of serving and retired personnel had not been adequately protected.
Describing the relationship between the armed forces and the government as “sacred”, Gandhi said Congress would continue to stand with soldiers, veterans and their families. The Leader of Opposition alleged that the recent agreement between India and the United States had compromised several strategic interests of the country. He said the agreement had weakened India’s energy security by restricting its ability to independently purchase oil and gas from countries of its choice. He said, India’s energy policy should remain free from external influence and be guided solely by national interest.
Gandhi also expressed concern over the impact of the agreement on agriculture. He warned that opening India’s agricultural market to American products would place Indian farmers at a disadvantage because of the vast differences in scale, mechanisation and technological capabilities between the two countries.
