Dharamshala, May 25 (UNI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of "peddling lies" about the Agniveer scheme of recruitment in the Indian Army and appealed to the youth not to fall prey to such falsehoods.
"Rahul Baba has a habit of lying, Agniveer is the best example of this, he keeps telling lies again and again," Shah said while addressing a press conference on a day's visit to this hill town in Himachal Pradesh.
Shah said earlier, political parties used to distort the true issues and put them before the people, but the NDA government has never made issues out of such "false things".
He said Gandhi has restarted a new tradition and made a false thing an issue to spread "misconceptions" across the country regarding the scheme that after 4 years, 75 percent of Agniveers will have no future, and their lives will be ruined.
Shah said under the scheme, if 100 soldiers become Agniveers, then 25 percent of them will get direct permanent posting in the army and for the remaining 75 percent soldiers, all BJP-ruled state governments have made 10 percent to 20 percent reservation in their police force and 10 percent reservation in the paramilitary force of the central government.
He said apart from the reserved seats, they have also been given many concessions in selection, such as age concession, some advantages in examination and they will not have to take physical tests.
After all these concessions, there will hardly be any Agniveer left who would not make it into the state police or the central paramilitary force.
He said apart from this, many private security agencies and companies have also set priority for Agniveers. Now a youth will be trained for 4 years at government expense and get a good salary for 4 years and a lifelong job with pension after 4 years.
The Home Minister said that the soldiers will not suffer any loss due to the scheme.
"Rahul Gandhi is spreading outright lies among the people for the benefit of his party and is misleading the public," he said and appealed to the youth not to fall prey to such "falsehoods".
Without naming the INDIA bloc, he said the 'thug alliance' should not mislead the public by spreading such false things in a small state like Himachal which is also Veerbhoomi.
You people must convey this to the youth and the families of our ex-army soldiers," he said.
Shah said even after Agniveer service, everyone will get a job either in the army, police or paramilitary force. Pension, gratuity and all the government benefits that come with service will also continue. UNI AR SSP