Agnipath brought in to educate youth on rising crime, suicide cases, says BJP MP Ramchandra Jangra

BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ramchandra Jangra has courted controversy after he said that the recently announced Agnipath scheme was aimed to “educate youth” over rising crimes including rape and murder.

Rohtak: BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ramchandra Jangra has courted controversy after he said that the recently announced Agnipath scheme was aimed to “educate youth” over rising crimes including rape and murder. Jangra was speaking to the media in Rohtak on the sidelines of an event to mark International Yoga Day on Tuesday. “Today's youth remains very angry. Murders and rapes happen every minute. This scheme was needed to educate them,” the BJP MP said.

Jangra also linked the recruitment of Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme to the age of marriage of the youth. “Nowadays the age of marriage has also become 30-31 years. After the Agniveer comes back after completing the training at the age of 22-23 years, 25 percent of them will be accommodated in the army. There is a reservation system for the rest,” he said while referring to the provision of 75 percent layoff of the Agniveers under the scheme after four years.

Jangra further said that the scheme will also help in curbing “suicides” among youth in Rajasthan's Kota, the hub of coaching for competitive exams. “Kota is the biggest centre (for coaching), but reports of suicides come from there. The Agnipath scheme will instill confidence, self-respect and spirit of patriotism among the youth,” he said, adding "If 50,000 Agniveers are educated in a year, that will be a national asset". He said that India is a “country of youth power” adding the Agniveer who is recruited under the Agnipath scheme will emerge as the “best citizens of India”.