Agnipath Scheme ‘disastrous for national security’: SKM

New Delhi, Aug 6 Samyukt Kisan Morch leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday alleged Agnipath scheme is disastrous for national security, armed forces, unemployed youth and farming families.
Addressing a press conference here, he said, “SKM and United Front of Ex-Servicemen joined hands with unemployed youth to launch a campaign against Agnipath Scheme announced by the Centre government.”
“We are going to hold Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Sammelan in selected places between August 7 and 14 to mark the beginning of this campaign,” said Tikait.
SKM leaders alleged that replacing the bulk of the regular recruitment by contractual Agniveers would seriously hamper operational capacity and morale of the armed forces.
Termination of on-going recruitment is a betrayal of those aspirants who had worked towards it for years and were waiting for final results of their hard work. This would mean several jolts to the unemployed youth already facing reduction in public-sector employment opportunities.
“This is a serious setback to farming families who have contributed to the nation by sending their youth to the forces,” said Tikait.
SKM leader Yogendra Yadav said the first step of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Sammelan campaign will start Sunday.
In the first phase, it will take place in Narwana District Jind in Haryana, Mathura (UP) and Kolkata on August 7.
Rewari (Haryana) and Muzaffarnagar (UP) on August 9; Indore (MP) and Meerut (UP) on August 10; Patna (Bihar) on August 11, various locations in Punjab on August 12-13 and Meerut (UP) on August 14.
Yadav said the campaign aims to educate the public about the disastrous consequences of Agnipath scheme and compel the Central government, by using democratic, peaceful and constitutional means to be roll back the scheme.