Agnipath Scheme Will Encourage Anti-India Forces: Manik Sarkar

The Anginpath scheme will weaken the Army internally and encourage anti-India forces, senior CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar claimed on Saturday.

Addressing a party programme in South Tripura’s Rajnagar, the former chief minister alleged that a scheme is an act of enmity to the country.

"If 100 Agniveers are recruited for four years, only 25 per cent will be retained in the armed forces after completion of their tenure, and 75 per cent will be shown the door. Where will they go after four years? There is no answer," said Sarkar, the leader of the opposition in the Tripura assembly and a member of the CPI(M) Politburo.

Stating that armymen get decent pensions after retiring at a young age, Sarkar criticised the Centre for no such benefit in the Agnipath scheme.

"This is nothing but an act of enmity to the country, and it will weaken the Army internally. This will bring danger to the country. The anti-India forces will be encouraged because of it," he claimed.

Sarkar also took on the Centre over unemployment.

"The unemployment problem has crossed a 50-year record, while public sector undertakings (PSUs) are being sold. How will lakhs of educated youth get jobs if PSUs are sold? This is totally against the youth of the country," he said.

(Inputs from PTI)