Agniveer Ajay Singh's Father Says, 'We Haven't Received Ex-Gratia From Centre'; Rahul Gandhi Shares Video

The family of deceased Agniveer Ajay Singh clarified that they did not received ex-gratia from the Centre or the Army and elaborated on what they received as insurance cover amount.

Rahul Gandhi on Friday shared a video on X purportedly of the father of the deceased Agniveer who stated that his family got Rs 50 lakh as insurance from a private bank and 48 lakh from the Army Group Insurance Fund.

The topic of Agniveer has become a point of controversy since LoP Rahul Gandhi criticised the Agniveer scheme in Lok Sabha earlier this week and specifically mentioned the story of Ajay Singh and how his family is yet to receive the compensation from Centre.

The Indian Army later stated that Gandhi's claims were untrue and in a post on 'X', the additional directorate general of public information of the Army said on Wednesday that the Indian Army "salutes the supreme sacrifice made by Agniveer Ajay Kumar" and emphasised that the emoluments due to a fallen hero are paid expeditiously to the next of kin of departed soldiers, including Agniveers.

In an Indian Express report, Ajay Singh’s father Charanjit Singh Kala who is a labourer elaborated on what the family received after his son's death. Kala reportedly said, “We have received Rs 98 lakh from insurance cover claim. This includes a cheque for Rs 48 lakh from the Army which is insurance cover, not ex gratia. Another Rs 50 lakh has been received from a private bank which too is a claim of the insurance policy my son had."

He then added, "The Punjab government has given us a compensation of Rs 1 crore."

Further Ajay Singh's father has mentioned to the media that, "But the claim of Rajnath Singh that the Centre has given us Rs 1 crore compensation is totally untrue. We haven’t received any ex gratia compensation from the Centre or the Army yet.”

The report also quotes the emotional father saying, "Return our son. We won’t ask for any money. We don’t need any money if the government can return our son."

According to reports, local Congress leader Smit Singh visited the family and later spoke to the media claiming that Rahul Gandhi's statement in the Lok Sabha about Agniveer's family not receiving compensation from the Centre was correct.

Smit mentioned that the family only received insurance money and not any additional payment from the Centre as ex gratia.

Smit Singh reportedly said, “I came here as I have been deputed by Rahul Gandhi to take care of this family and ensure their all needs are met.”

Rahul Gandhi on Friday shared a video on his social media where he added clips of Ajay Singh's father speaking about the insurance claims he received instead of compensation from the Centre.

Gandhi said in the video that the martyr's family had not got compensation and asked why they have not got ex-gratia payment.

He asked why salary arrears have not been received in the bank account of the martyr's family.

"The family of martyr Agniveer Ajay Kumar has not received any compensation from the government till date. There is a difference between 'compensation' and 'insurance'. The payment has been made to the family of the martyr only by the insurance company," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

The family of martyr Kumar has not received the assistance that they should have received from the government, he said.

Ajay Singh who was an Agniveer lost his life in a landmine blast while posted in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri in January 2024.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh "lied" in Parliament about the issue of compensation to families of martyred Agniveers and demanded an apology for it.

The Congress leader also shared a video on X purportedly of the father of a deceased Agniveer who stated that Rajnath Singh had claimed that Rs 1 crore compensation had been given to the next of kin of martyred Agniveers but no such assistance was received by his family.

Sharing the video message posted by her brother, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also accused the BJP of "insulting the sacrifice of the families" who gave up their sons for the country

Singh, who intervened when Gandhi was speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, said that an Agniveer who lays down his life in the line of duty gets a compensation of Rs 1 crore.

The Union minister had asked Gandhi not to mislead Parliament and also requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge the former Congress president's claims on the Agnipath scheme.

Intervening, the defence minister had said, "I would like to humbly request the leader of the opposition not to try to mislead Parliament. Regarding the Agniveer scheme, direct communication was established with many people, 158 organisations, their suggestions were taken, then this Agniveer scheme was brought. This scheme has been brought after a lot of thought."

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, 2022, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. The government extended the upper age limit to 23 years later that year.