15 Agniveer sacrifices in 365 days, more than 9 suicides and deaths in suspicious circumstances, who will answer this

The number of Agniveers joining the army in the country through the 'Agneepath' scheme is continuously increasing. In the past one year, 15 Agniveers have sacrificed their lives. Colonel Rohit Chaudhary, National President of the Ex-Servicemen Department of Congress Party has said, "15th Agniveer has sacrificed his life in the country. Again a case of suicide.". On Thursday, Agniveer Nikhil Dadwal from Himachal Pradesh shot himself to death in Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir. It is a spine-chilling situation that within a year, 15 Agniveers have sacrificed their lives. In more than 9 of these, the death has been due to suicide or under suspicious circumstances.' Chaudhary has asked the central government why are Agniveer soldiers in the army continuously committing suicide.".

According to Colonel Rohit Chaudhary, this month the 14th martyred Agniveer Srikant Chaudhary also committed suicide by shooting himself. He has asked many questions to the Modi government. 'First question, why are the Agniveer soldiers in the army continuously committing suicide? Are the Agniveers getting adequate training? Is a six-month-trained Agniveer physically and mentally capable of working in the army? How many 'normal' soldiers have committed suicide in the last year? How many Agniveers have committed suicide during this period? The government should bring a white paper to the Parliament as to why there is discrimination between Agniveer soldiers and regular soldiers.'

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has said in the Parliament that the Agniveer scheme will be canceled if the India Alliance government is formed. By bringing the Agniveer scheme, the central government has turned the soldiers of India into laborers. If a martyr is martyred in the Agniveer scheme, the youth will neither get the status of a martyr nor will they get a pension. They will not get any other facility. After four years, the youth will again become unemployed. The Agniveer scheme was not a scheme of the army, it was made by the Prime Minister's Office.

Colonel Rohit Chaudhary believes that ever since Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of Agniveer in the Parliament and listed the shortcomings of this scheme, the central government has been on the back foot. Recently, due to the pressure of Rahul Gandhi, the government had to suddenly bring the Defense Minister, military officers, and IPS DGs of three central forces in support of 'Agniveer'. Rahul Gandhi had said in the Parliament, if an Agniveer is martyred in a landmine blast, I am calling him a martyr, but the Government of India is not calling him a martyr. One martyr will get a pension and martyr status, the other will not get all this.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had said on this statement of Rahul that he is making wrong statements. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had criticized the Agniveers for not getting any benefits other than gratuity during service and for denying pensions to their families. Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the government sees Agniveers as laborers who are used and then thrown away. They are not even given the status of martyr. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had refuted Rahul Gandhi's claims regarding Agniveer recruitment in the Lok Sabha and said that the Agneepath scheme was implemented after taking suggestions from 158 organizations. The Directors General of CRPF, BSF and CISF had said, the Union Home Ministry has reserved 10 percent of the posts of constables in CAPF for former Agniveers. Agniveers will also get jobs in central police forces. They will be given exemption in physical test.