A controversy erupted after Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, shared a video claiming that the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar hadn’t received promised compensation. This came after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated in Parliament that families of Agniveers who sacrifice their lives receive Rs 1 crore as compensation. The Indian Army responded, clarifying that Kumar’s family had already received Rs 98.39 lakh out of the total Rs 1.65 crore due, emphasizing that such payments are promptly made.
Gandhi accused Singh of lying about the compensation amount, prompting a rebuttal from the Defence Minister who urged him not to mislead Parliament. Singh defended the Agniveer scheme, introduced to recruit young individuals for short-term military service with potential for extension, following consultations with numerous stakeholders.
The Agniveer scheme, launched in June 2022, initially allowed recruitment of youths aged 17.5 to 21 for four years, with a provision for 25% to continue for an additional 15 years. Later, the upper age limit was raised to 23 years. Singh argued that similar schemes exist globally and criticized Gandhi for criticizing without understanding its details.
The issue highlighted tensions over the compensation process for families of soldiers and the implementation of the Agniveer scheme, leading to a heated exchange between political leaders in Parliament.
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