Kolkata/New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said asked the centre to reconsider Agnipath, the short-term armed forces recruitment scheme against which a wave of protests recently broke out in several states recently.
"Future of soldiers under Agnipath scheme uncertain, Centre must extend the retirement age to 65 years," PTI quoted her saying. Mamata alleged that the BJP-led federal government at the Centre was against people who are "speaking the truth". Banerjee claimed that ordinary people are being "tormented" by the BJP and as a result, several lakhs of people, including businessmen have left the country.
"BJP is doing whatever it wants to do ... It is using central agencies like CBI and the ED against those who are speaking the truth," she said at a programme in Burdwan. She had made the same charge on a number of occasions in the past. Banerjee, who is also the TMC supremo, said, "Today I saw that a Shiv Sena leader in Maharashtra (Sanjay Rout) has been summoned by the ED. Why will it (BJP) torment ordinary people like this? Is this the way to run a democracy?
"Several lakhs of people and businessmen have left the country in the last few years," she claimed. "You can check this with the passport and visa offices." Meanwhile, taking a jibe at the Modi Government for bringing in Agnipath scheme "without any consultation" from army veterans, youth and Parliament committee, senior Congress leader Mohan Prakash said that the Centre was "known for bringing in reforms without any consultation". Calling this scheme 'Andhkar Path' (dark road), Prakash, who was addressing media from the party headquarters in Delhi, said it would threaten the security apparatus and the lives of youth.
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Prakash reiterated the party's stand and said that on Monday, Congress protested in nearly 3,500 constituencies against Agnipath urging the Union Government to roll it back. Further attacking the Modi Government for carrying out "privatisation" in the defence sector, Prakash said: "Army-related organizations are being privatised...41 ordnance factories had been privatised by this Modi Government. DRDO has been weakened. This must be stopped."
"Modiji is friends with Pakistan PM and with China's president as well. The situation at the border is critical. And the result of this is that our boundaries are being grabbed," said the Congress leader. Prakash urged the government to release all the young people who have been detained for protesting against this scheme. "Instead of detaining them, the government should talk with them," he said.
