Top NDA leader from Nitish Kumar's party says Government should reconsider Agniveer scheme

JD(U) leader KC Tyagi urges a review of the Agniveer scheme, highlighting public dissatisfaction and concerns about its impact on the Armed Forces. He advocates for dialogue on the Uniform Civil Code and emphasizes the need for a nationwide caste survey and special status for Bihar, reflecting key issues after the recent Lok Sabha elections.

A senior leader from the Janata Dal (United) has called for a review of the Agniveer scheme, which recruits youth into the Armed Forces for a four-year term. KC Tyagi, the chief spokesperson of the JD(U) and a close aide of party chief Nitish Kumar highlighted that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the scheme in various states. He emphasized that while the JD(U) is not opposing the scheme outright, it believes the concerns raised by the public need to be addressed comprehensively.

The Agniveer scheme, introduced in 2022, allows for only 25% of recruits to be retained after four years, with the rest receiving financial benefits upon their release. This approach has been criticized within the defence community, which argues that it undermines the warfighting capabilities of the forces and puts soldiers at a disadvantage. The Congress party has even pledged to scrap the scheme and revert to the previous recruitment process in its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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KC Tyagi stated that the party's national president, CM Nitish Kumar, has written to the Law Commission chief regarding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). While the JD(U) is not against the UCC, Tyagi stressed that a solution should be found through dialogue with all stakeholders.

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In the aftermath of the Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP did not achieve its anticipated success, the JD(U) has taken a stance on key issues. The BJP, despite aiming for 400 seats, managed to secure only 240 on its own. The support of allies like Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu has become crucial for forming the government. The INDIA Opposition bloc, on the other hand, performed well in the elections.

Tyagi also underscored the need for a nationwide caste survey and the granting of special status to Bihar. The Nitish Kumar government, previously backed by the RJD and Congress, had conducted a caste survey in Bihar before aligning with the NDA. This survey was a central issue for the INDIA Opposition bloc during the elections.