Ladakh Lt Governor praises Agnipath scheme, dubs those opposing it as 'borderline anti-national'

“Anybody who is making a false propaganda about the disadvantage of Agnipath project is not in the national interest, call them anti-national," Lieutenant Governor of UT Ladakh, Brigadier BD Mishra (Retd.) said.

Anish Kumar

First Published Sep 21, 2024, 7:00 PM IST | Last Updated Sep 21, 2024, 10:19 PM IST

Leh: The Lieutenant Governor of UT Ladakh, Brigadier BD Mishra (Retd.), on Saturday commended the Agnipath recruitment scheme, describing it as beneficial. However, the former Indian Army officer also criticised those opposing the scheme, calling their stance "bordering anti-national."

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the first Him Tech Symposium 2024 at Leh, organised by the Fire & Fury Corps, the lieutenant governor said, “Agniveer is a good project but I’ll add a tailpiece that Army always goes in for reform, modification, and better process. So, having experience now it will be modified to an extent that is optimum.”

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It's important to note that opposition parties, including the Congress, have been calling for the scrapping of the Agnipath scheme, arguing that it goes against the national interest and the welfare of the youth. Additionally, allies of the NDA government, such as the JDU and LJP, have also expressed strong opposition to the scheme in its current form.

“Anybody who is making a false propaganda about the disadvantage of Agnipath project is not in the national interest, call them anti-national," Mishra added.

The Agnipath Scheme was introduced in June 2022, eliminating pensions and other benefits that were part of the previous recruitment model. The lieutenant governor also shared insights from his interactions with Agniveers across the country and the officers supervising them.

“I am from Madras Regiment and recently I went for our reunion at Madras Regimental Centre, where the recruits have come, I met them. You won’t believe they were very very keen, very smart and doing very well," said Mishra.

He also visited his battalion, where he met the commanding officer, who provided a positive response regarding the Agniveers in the unit.

At Leh, “I also talked to the regimental centre commander here — the Ladakh Scouts, they were also praising them.”

Talking about the scheme, Mishra added, “Agniveer plan was well thought of, discussed and debated for very long time. It was not out of cap. But what is I am glad about that the Agniveer are proving very effective and when they go out they will be very very confident people because when they go out what they will do? They will be competing in the civil society with other youths.”

“The Agniveers with 4 years of service, good training, good leadership in the army and their upbringing will stand out. No company will say them no. They will induct them," the lieutenant governor further said.

During his tenure as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Mishra mentioned that he had discussions with the chief ministers of all eight northeastern states, who expressed strong support for the scheme.

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They stated, "I will provide all help and support, employ them on lateral induction basis."

The two-day Him Tech Symposium 2024 concluded on Saturday, featuring over 90 defense manufacturers who showcased a wide range of products, including autonomous unmanned systems, green energy solutions, human sustainability initiatives, equipment maintenance, infrastructure development, waste disposal technologies, communication systems, and defense and security solutions.

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