May 02, 2024 02:59 PM IST
People between 17-and-a-half and 21 are eligible to apply for a four-year tenure under the Agnipath recruitment scheme which started in 2022
PATNA: Weeks after she ignited a controversy with her claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would end up behind bars if the Opposition INDIA bloc came to power at the centre, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa Bharti on Wednesday mounted a fresh attack on PM Modi, 73, over the Agnipath scheme.
“The country has given him (PM Modi) two terms. He is 75 years old. What has he done for the youth? They brought the Agnineer recruitment scheme under which the inducted youths would retire in four years and sit at home while the old, 75-year-old Prime Minister, is seeking another term. But the PM should know, the people are not fools. They will give a befitting reply,” Bharti said on Wednesday at an election meeting in Paliganj, 50km from Patna, according to a widely-circulated video clip of her speech.
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People between 17-and-a-half and 21 are eligible to apply for a four-year tenure under the Agnipath scheme which started in 2022 and was described by the government as a game changer for the armed forces. It allows 25% of the recruits to be granted regular service, and is the only recruitment scheme for people below officer rank.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded angrily to Misa Bharti’s remarks, saying she shouldn’t cross a line. Bihar BJP spokesperson Arvind Singh asked Misa Bharti to desist from making disrespectful comments about the prime minister. Senior BJP leader Syed Shahnawaj Hussain said she should be careful about what she says.
Misa Bharti, the eldest daughter of RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, is contesting from the Patliputra seat, which she had unsuccessfully contested in 2014 and 2019 parliamentary polls and lost to BJP’s Ram Kripal Yadav, a former protege of her father.
Bharti also criticised PM Modi’s track record over the last 10 years, saying only big capitalists have gained in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule.
Congress spokesperson Gyanranjan defended Misa Bharti’s fresh remarks, saying it was true that PM Modi in his two terms as PM hadn’t fulfilled the tall promises made by the BJP such as increasing the minimum support price or generating employment. “PM Modi does push lies and tries to divert from real issues,” he said.
Bharti walked into controversy last month after she declared that PM Modi and BJP leaders would go to jail if the Opposition’s INDIA bloc came to power, a remark that triggered a strong backlash from the BJP. She later backtracked, accusing the media of twisting her statement. “I had said when our government comes to power, we will conduct an investigation about any discrepancies and punish those accused,” she said.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A journalist for 21 years, Anirban covers RJD, legislature and government beats. Has extensive experience in covering elections and writes regularly on finance, land reforms, registration, excise and socio-economic issues.
