Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav vowed that the Agnipath scheme will be scrapped "as soon as we come to power" as he stated that the scheme "compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of the soldiers".
This announcement came just one day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath revealed a reservation policy for retired Agniveers.
Yadav, who is actively campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections, reiterated his commitment to abolish the short-term military recruitment program if the INDIA bloc, of which the Samajwadi Party is a member wins the upcoming polls.
In a post on X, Yadav said, "As soon as we come to power, the short-term 'Agniveer' military recruitment that compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of the soldiers will be cancelled within 24 hours."
"This is our demand on 'Agniveer' … The old recruitment (model) should be reinstated," he said in Hindi.
Adityanath on Friday said the Uttar Pradesh government would grant weightage to Agniveers who returned from service for recruitment in the police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
The Centre in 2022 unveiled the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youths aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year contractual basis.
Those recruited under the scheme will be known as Agniveers.
After completion of their four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch will be offered regular service.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had announced that 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in the Central Armed Police Forces or the paramilitary forces would be reserved for ex-Agniveers.
Several state governments also made similar announcements for recruitment of retired Agniveers in their respective police forces.
