West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Agnipath scheme is the BJP-led government's way of creating its own "armed cadre". She added that the short-term military scheme is a "lollipop" to create thugs who will loot votes for the party.
The TMC chief questioned what Agniveers will do after four years and suggested that the BJP may hire Agniveers as "watchmen'' in their offices after the service period. She was referring to senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya's comment that he will give priority to 'Agniveers' for security jobs at his party office.
"The job notification by the Home Ministry has nothing to do with the army. The BJP is giving (them) a lollipop for four years to create gangsters. They are trying to create goons who will loot votes for the saffron camp," alleged the Bengal CM. "This is not training imparted by the army, but weapons training. They will get an arms license. The party wants to give arms into the hands of the youth". She was speaking in the Assembly.
Banerjee's comments come at a time when the nation is seeing widespread protests against the scheme over the lack of pension and guarantee of future employment. She called the scheme an insult to the armed forces.
While claiming that the BJP is trying to fool the masses ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, she added the TMC will thank the party if the Centre provided the youth with permanent jobs. "They had promised two crore jobs every year. But now they are only fooling the people of the country in the name of these schemes".
The Indian Army has issued a notification regarding recruitment to the Agnipath scheme and it said the registration will start in July.