The Indian Army on Wednesday issued a statement regarding emoluments to Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty and dismissed certain reports that his family was not paid the compensation. The Indian Army informed that of the total amount due, the family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs.
Taking to social media platform X, Indian Army issues a clarification and wrote, "...of the total amount due, the family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs. Ex - Gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakhs, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post due Police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 Cr approximately..."
"Certain posts on Social Media have brought out that compensation hasn't been paid to the Next of Kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar who lost his life in the line of duty. It is emphasised that the Indian Army salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar," Army said in a statement.
"The last rites were carried out with full Military Honours. Of the total amount due, family of Agniveer Ajay has already been paid Rs 98.39 lakhs," it said.
"Ex-Gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately 67 lakhs, as applicable according to the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will be paid on Final Account Settlement shortly post due Police verification. The total amount will be Rs 1.65 Cr approximately," the Army said.
"It is re-emphasised that emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the Next of Kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers," it mentioned.
The matter came to light after Rahul Gandhi earlier today alleged that Agniveer Ajay Kumar's kin, who died in the line of duty, were not paid compensation.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh "lied" in Parliament about the issue of compensation to families of martyred Agniveers and demanded an apology for it.
The Congress leader also shared a video on X purportedly of the father of a deceased Agniveer who stated that Rajnath Singh had claimed that Rs 1 crore compensation had been given to the next of kin of martyred Agniveers but no such assistance was received by his family.
Sharing the video message posted by her brother, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also accused the BJP of "insulting the sacrifice of the families" who gave up their sons for the country. In his video, Rahul Gandhi said that he had stated in his speech in Parliament that the protection of truth is the basis of every religion.
"In reply, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, before Lord Shiva's photo, lied to the country, its armed forces and Agniveers about compensation," Gandhi said in the video. He then referred to the purported statement by the father of an Agniveer martyr Ajay Singh.
Ajay Singh's father said that Rajnath Singh made the statement that families of martyrs have been given Rs 1 crore compensation but no such assistance had been received by his family.
"Rahul Gandhi is raising our voice in Parliament that families of martyrs must get all necessary help. Agniveer recruitment must stop and regular recruitment should be reinstated," he said.
Gandhi said the defence minister had "lied" to the family of martyr Ajay Singh, the armed forces and the youth of the country, and must apologise to them.
Gandh's fresh attack came after Rajnath Singh rebutted the Leader of Opposition's claims in the Lok Sabha on the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, saying it was rolled out after taking suggestions from 158 organisations.
The Congress leader had on Monday criticised the Agnipath scheme for short-term military recruitment and said that the government does not even give them the status of a "shaheed" (martyr) and that no compensation is extended to their families if they are killed in action.
Singh, who intervened when Gandhi was speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, said that an Agniveer who lays down his life in the line of duty gets a compensation of Rs 1 crore.
The Union minister had asked Gandhi not to mislead Parliament and also requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge the former Congress president's claims on the Agnipath scheme.
With inputs from PTI
