After Uttarakhand, the Uttar Pradesh government announced on Friday that it will reserve government jobs for Agniveers. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the state government's decision to extend reservations to Agniveers in government services.
"When Agniveers return after their service, the Uttar Pradesh government will provide these youth the facility of adjustment in Police Service and PAC on a priority basis," the UP CM said.
Significantly, the Chief Minister, during his statement to the media, also called out a few political parties for misleading people and demeaning the centre's efforts towards progress, prosperity, and national development.
"Reforms done from time to time to establish a new paradigm of progress and prosperity are essential for any country and society. Under PM Modi's leadership, several steps have been taken in the past 10 years, and reforms have been made in every sector to give a respectable position to our economy and establish India as the fifth-largest global economy. We need to give national security equal importance. Armed forces have also advanced with this reform. Today, Indian armed forces are equipped with ultra-modern fighter aircraft. Defence manufacturing corridors are being developed in UP and Tamil Nadu. The Agniveer scheme has been furthered to ensure that our armed forces can go ahead with this pace and reform. There is enthusiasm in the minds of youth. Ten lakh Agniveers are going ahead to render their services under the Agnipath scheme. It's unfortunate that a few political parties for whom politics is greater than the country want to do politics at the cost of the country. It is their job to obstruct everything related to reform, progress, and prosperity. They do this continuously. The opposition tried to mislead people on this matter. I think we should go ahead with this armed forces reform by considering national security supreme," he added.
The UP CM's statement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lambasted the opposition on Friday in a veiled attack for spreading misconceptions about the Agnipath scheme. Speaking at the Kargil Vijay Diwas function, PM Modi sternly refuted the allegations that the Agnipath scheme is being implemented to save pension money.
"I don't know what has happened to the thinking of some people. They are spreading the misconception that the government has come up with this scheme to save pension money. For today's recruits, the question of pension will arise after 30 years. We have respected this decision taken by the Army because we work for 'rashtraneeti', not 'rajneeti'," PM Modi said.
Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that a massive uproar over the Agnipath scheme has also ensued in Parliament earlier, with the leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, highlighting the disparity it creates among soldiers.
"Agniveer is a use and throw labour. One jawan is getting a pension, while another is not. You are creating a divide between Jawans," Gandhi stated in Parliament.
He further also criticized PM Modi, asserting that the Agniveer scheme was implemented without proper consultation and was a directive from the Prime Minister's Office.
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