'Agnipath well thought out plan to fuel RSS ideology': Former union minister K Rehman Khan

In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Khan said that when 75% of the 'Agniveers' will leave the army, it will be sort of giving thousands of trained personnel to the society "who may join the RSS".

Bangalore: Amid massive protests against the defense ministry's short-term recruitment model Agnipath, former Union Minister and ex-deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha K Rehman Khan has criticized the scheme claiming that it will end up sending back thousands of trained armed personnel into the society, some of whom may then join the right-wing groups.

Protests across the country broke out after the Defence Ministry announced the scheme earlier this week. Mobs of angry youth torched trains and damaged public infrastructure in several states. One youth was killed in Hyderabad in police action against the protestors. The major concern of the protesting youth is short service and the lack of pension in Agnipath.

According to the scheme, youth between 17 1/2 years to 21 years (increased to 23 as a one-time exception) will be inducted into the armed forces for four years. On completion of four years, one-fourth or 25 percent of the ‘Agniveers’ will be re-employed for 15 more years based on merit, their intent, and the organizational requirement. The remaining three-fourths or 75% would be adequately compensated with around Rs 11 lakh ‘Seva Nidhi’.

In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Khan said the scheme was a "well thought out plan to add trained personnel into the RSS." "Agnipath is a well thought out plan to induct youth of particular ideology into the army. When 75% of the Agniveers will leave the army, it will be sort of giving thousands of trained personnel to the society who may join the RSS. They will have all the legal protection," he said.

"Since selection is their prerogative who knows who will control (the recruitment process). The entire RSS cadre may join and get military training. This is a practical implementation of Hindu Rashtra ideology," he said adding that "the discipline of the army will go if this scheme is implemented". Violence continued to dominate the protest movement even on the fourth day after the central government announced contractual short-term recruitment on Tuesday.