Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly defended the Agnipath Scheme on Friday, condemning the Opposition for politicizing a critical issue related to national defense and security.
His remarks came after a visit to the Kargil War Memorial in Dras, Ladakh, where he marked the 25th anniversary of Vijay Diwas, honoring the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the 1999 Kargil War.
Addressing the media, PM Modi praised the Agnipath Scheme as a necessary reform aimed at revitalizing the Indian Armed Forces.
The Prime Minister highlighted the need for the scheme, stating, “For decades, there has been extensive debate on maintaining a youthful and agile armed force. The average age of an Indian soldier exceeds the global average, which is a matter of concern. Despite numerous discussions, no previous government took decisive action.”
PM Modi emphasized that the Agnipath Scheme aims to keep the forces young and battle-ready.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister did not hold back in his criticism of the Opposition, accusing them of exploiting the Agnipath Scheme for political gain.
PM claimed, “The Opposition, driven by personal interests, is politicizing this important issue. These are the same individuals involved in defense-related scandals and who undermined our military capabilities. They opposed modernizing our Air Force and even attempted to shelve the Tejas fighter jet project.”
The Prime Minister however countered allegations of financial motives behind the scheme, noting that pension concerns would only emerge in the future.
PM argued, “If the government’s intent were merely to cut costs, we would have deferred decisions on pensions to future administrations. However, our priority is national security, not politics.”
Further defending his government’s record, PM Modi accused the Opposition of neglecting military issues in the past.
“Those criticizing the Agnipath Scheme have historically shown little regard for our soldiers. They spoke falsehoods about the One Rank One Pension scheme, which my government successfully implemented. They failed to build the National War Memorial for seven decades and did not provide adequate bulletproof jackets for our troops.”
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