Punjab CM says 'Agnipath' shattered dreams of youth, passes resolution against it in Assembly

"If the scheme is so good, let BJP make its own sons as Agniveers," Mann said. "The unilateral announcement has resulted in widespread reactions, including here in Punjab. This policy will create dissatisfaction among youth who wish to serve the nation for a lifetime," he added.

Chandigarh: A resolution against the new armed forces recruitment scheme 'Agnipath' was passed in the Punjab Legislative Assembly on Thursday. Addressing the scheme, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he would take the issue up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and will also demand the withdrawal of the heavily-contested provision. The resolution was supported by both Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal.

"If the scheme is so good, let BJP make its own sons as Agniveers," Mann said. "The unilateral announcement has resulted in widespread reactions, including here in Punjab. This policy will create dissatisfaction among youth who wish to serve the nation for a lifetime. The scheme has shattered the dreams of many youths in Punjab who aspire to join the Indian armed forces," he further noted. Meanwhile, two BJP MLAs, Ashwani Sharma and Jangi Lal Mahajan opposed the resolution.

Sharma opposed the introduction of the resolution, saying those present at the assembly were 'not experts'. "We are not experts. This is an issue related to the security of the country and the armed forces. We must trust the heads of all three services," he said.

The introduction of the Agnipath scheme led to widespread protests across the country, which in many places turned violent. The scheme aims at recruiting soldiers on a contractual basis between the ages of 17 and 21 for a four-year tenure, after which 25% of the batch will be made permanent. Following the protests, the Centre increased the upper age limit for this year's recruits to 23. (With agency inputs)