Modi can't hear anything except voice of 'friends': Rahul amid Agnipath protests

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not understand what the youth of the country wants as he cannot hear anything except the voice of his "friends".

New Delhi: The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged the government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme. Amid the ongoing protests against the Centre's Agnipath scheme, Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to the voice of unemployed youths and not take 'agnipareeksha (trial by fire)' of their patience by making them walk on 'Agnipath'.

Criticizing PM's scheme, he also said that PM does not understand what the people of the country want as he cannot hear anything except the voice of his "friends". Gandhi tweeted on Friday and mentioned the list of schemes made by the BJP which have backfired against it. Starting from the economists rejecting the GST demonetization to the farmers massively protesting against the farm laws and now the youth across the country are widely protesting against the Agnipath scheme.

Gandhi said today the government raised the upper age limit to 23 from 21 years for recruitment under 'Agnipath', amid protests by youth in several parts of the country against the scheme. Gandhi tweeted, "Agneepath- Youth rejected it- Farm Laws- farmers rejected it- Economists rejected demonetization - traders rejected GST - What the people of the country want, the Prime Minister does not understand because he does not hear anything except the voice of his 'friends'."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's tweet, "Not even 24 hours passed by that the BJP government had to change the rules of new army recruitment, meaning the plan is being imposed on the youth in a hurry.@narendramodi Yes, withdraw this scheme immediately and give results and appointments in the stopped recruitment of Airforce. Do army recruitment (with age relaxation) as before"

In another tweet of Priyanka Gandhi she wrote "In the eyes of the youth preparing for army recruitment, there are many dreams of country service, parental service, home family and future, what will the new army recruitment plan give them? After 4 years, no job guarantee, no pension facility = no rank, no pension @narendramodi Don't crush the dreams of the youth"

Congress has demanded that the short service recruitment in the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme be kept on hold and consultations with experts should be held before taking further action on it.