‘As per PM Modi’s wishes’: BJP-ruled UP, MP, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh move to give job quota to Agniveers | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: On the Kargil Vijay Diwas, as opposition cornered PM Modi-led NDA government over the Agniveer scheme, the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states moved to provide job reservations to the ex-servicemen. In back-to-back statements, the chief ministers of Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh announced the decision to provide job reservations to Agniveers in the state jobs while backing the scheme.
Underscoring the importance of national security, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the opposition on Friday for allegedly misleading the public regarding the Agniveer scheme.
He also stated that his government will provide Agniveers jobs in police service and Pradeshik Armed Constabulary (PAC) on “priority basis”.

In a post on X, CM Yogi said, “When Agniveers return after their service, Uttar Pradesh government will provide these youth the facility of adjustment in Police Service, PAC on priority basis. A certain reservation facility will be provided for them in Uttar Pradesh Police.”
The announcement comes just days after the BJP-led Haryana government said the state would provide 10% reservation to Agniveers in direct recruitment to posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and SPO.
Besides UP, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh also announced job quotas for Agniveers on Friday.
Madhya Praadesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Friday announced that his government will provide reservations to Agniveers in the recruitment of police and armed forces after the end of their services.
Sharing the information on social media platform X, Yadav said the decision is as per “the wishes of our illustrious Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji.”

The Madhya Pradesh CM earlier in the morning paid tribute to the heroes of the Kargil war at Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal on the occasion of 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.
With this, Madhya Pradesh became the third BJP-led state to announce reservation in jobs for Agniveers.
On the occasion of Kargil Diwas, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami also announced a similar decision.
“We will make provisions and bring an Act to give reservation to them in government services. We are working on this plan. We will make use of their skills and discipline in various government departments,” Dhami said.
The chief minister also announced that the aid extended to the kin of martyrs will be increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.
“No sacrifice can be bigger than the act of laying down one’s life to secure the country’s borders. No grant or honour can be enough for this supreme sacrifice,” he added.
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai also made the announcement saying, “I am glad to announce that ex-Agniveers will be given priority in appointment of police constable, forest guard and jail guard in Chhattisgarh. The state government will soon release guidelines for it.”
Nayab Saini-led Haryana government had announced the similar move on July 17.
Chief minister Nayab Saini said the state government will provide 10 percent reservation to Agniveers in Haryana in direct recruitment to the posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and SPO.
He also announced age waiver of three years for Agniveers in Group B, C employment in the state.

Earlier today, in his address at the Kargil Vijay Diwas Shradhanjali Samaroh in Drass, PM Modi called Agnipath scheme an example of necessary reforms done by the army.
He said some people were playing politics over a sensitive issue related to national security and rubbished claims that the Agnipath scheme was launched to save pension money. “The aim of Agnipath is to make the forces young … The aim of Agnipath is to keep the armies continuously fit for war,” he said.

“For decades, there have been discussions on making the armed forces young, from Parliament to various committees. The average age of Indian soldiers being higher than the global average has been raising concerns. Therefore, this topic was raised in many committees for years. But the will to solve this challenge related to the country’s security was not shown earlier,” PM Modi said.
“Unfortunately, such a sensitive issue related to national security has been made a subject of politics by some people. Some people are playing politics of lies for their personal interests even on this reform of the army,” the PM added.

Modi government’s Agniveer scheme has attracted constant criticism by the opposition making it one of the major flashpoint during Lok Sabha election campaign and subsequent Parliament sessions.
As PM Modi on Friday blamed the opposition for “playing politics of lies for their personal interests even on this reform of the army” over the scheme, the INDIA bloc leaders launched a counter-attack, accusing PM Modi of being involved in “petty politics”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other party leaders accused the prime minister of indulging in “petty politics” over the Agnipath issue and said the prime minister’s remarks that his government implemented the scheme at the behest of the Army was a “blatant lie”.

“It is very unfortunate and deplorable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is doing petty politics even on occasions like paying tribute to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas. No Prime Minister has ever done this before,” Kharge said.
“Modi ji is saying that his government implemented the Agnipath scheme at the behest of the Army. This is a blatant lie and an unforgivable insult to our valiant armed forces. Modi ji, it is you who is spreading lies!” he said in a post on X.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused Modi of “lying” even on Kargil Vijay Diwas.
“He (Modi) says the Agnipath/Agniveer scheme was introduced by the Army. General MM Naravane, who was Army chief at that time, has written that the scheme came as a complete surprise to the Army and as a ‘bolt from the blue’ to the Navy and Air Force. Modi is now trying to evade responsibility for this disastrous scheme,” he said in a post on X.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Mahua Maji said the scheme needs to be reviewed as it does not provide any social security to the Agniveers.
“I salute the martyrs of Kargil. Whenever foreign nations have attacked us, our brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives,” she said.

“But there should be a review of the Agniveer scheme. We should think about the soldiers on whom the whole nation of 140 crore people relies. What would happen to them after four years when they become unemployed?” the JMM MP posed.
The Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen dismissed the prime minister’s remarks that the Agniveer scheme is intended to keep the force young.
“The Army has always been young, perhaps the prime minister does not know… They get voluntary retirement while they are young. They serve the nation, we respect them,” she said.
“Being in the Army was a full-time job. But the Agnipath-Agniveer (scheme) ended that. We will keep protesting against the scheme,” Sen said.