The Army quickly clarified within two hours of Rahul Gandhi’s video message, where he insisted that Agniveer Ajay Kumar’s family had not received compensation. The Army’s late-night statement confirmed that they had indeed paid ₹ 98.39 lakh to Agniveer Ajay Kumar’s family shortly after Rahul Gandhi claimed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had misled Parliament by stating that ₹ 1 crore had been given to the family.
“The Army responded to social media posts alleging that Agniveer Ajay Kumar’s next of kin had not been compensated,” the Army’s statement said, acknowledging the sacrifice made by Agniveer. They mentioned that the last rites were conducted with full military honors and that ₹ 98.39 lakh had already been paid. An additional ₹ 67 lakh in ex-gratia and other benefits, as per the Agniveer Scheme, would be disbursed after police verification, bringing the total to approximately ₹ 1.65 crore.
Rajnath Singh’s office reposted the Army’s clarification, emphasizing the Army’s commitment to the welfare of Agniveers. Sources informed NDTV that ₹ 98 lakh were paid to Agniveer Ajay Kumar’s family by the end of June.
In his video message, Rahul Gandhi stood by his statement, criticizing Rajnath Singh for allegedly lying about the compensation during a parliamentary session. He called for an apology from the Defence Minister, citing discrepancies highlighted by Agniveer Ajay Kumar’s father. The issue revolves around the Agniveer Scheme, initiated in 2022, which involves short-term recruitment into the armed forces to lower the age profile across services.
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