Ravi Kishan Defends Agnipath Scheme Amidst Opposition Criticism

BJP's Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan accuses opposition of undermining national morale over Agnipath scheme. Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram and Samajwadi Party's Awadhesh Prasad criticize it as detrimental to the armed forces. PM Modi defends the scheme as essential for modernizing the army.

Launching a fierce defense of the Agnipath scheme, BJP's Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan denounced opposition leaders for allegedly attempting to 'break the morale' of patriots. He accused the opposition of having a singular focus on opposing the Centre's work, asserting that such a 'negative attitude' impedes national progress.

'This initiative is about fortifying the nation. Over the past five years, the opposition's only strategy has been to contest everything done by PM Modi and his government. How can they propel the country forward with such negativity?' Ravi Kishan stated while speaking to ANI. The remarks followed Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram's critique of the Agnipath scheme, which he argued weakens the armed forces by providing short-term induction without adequate training or benefits.

'A professional army requires comprehensive training and full commissions. The Agnipath scheme falls short of this,' Chidambaram countered, responding to PM Modi's endorsement of the scheme during his Kargil Vijay Diwas address. Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad also vowed to abolish the scheme upon opposition coalition INDIA bloc's election to power, labeling it a disgrace to the army.

'I am proud of our army's illustrious history, but the BJP's Agnipath scheme is a grave insult. We will terminate this scheme within 24 hours and resume general recruitment,' Prasad claimed. PM Modi, honoring soldiers at the Kargil War Memorial on the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, reiterated that the Agnipath scheme aims to keep the army young and battle-ready, addressing a long-standing demand for defense reforms.

'The defense sector has needed these changes for decades. The Agnipath scheme is just one of the necessary reforms accomplished in our army,' PM Modi declared. He emphasized the issue of higher-than-average soldier ages and accused opposition parties of politicizing a critical national security matter. Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on July 26, commemorates the successful Operation Vijay of 1999, when Indian forces reclaimed strategic positions in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil sector from Pakistani infiltrators.

(With inputs from agencies.)