shot-button
Lake Levels Lake Levels
Home > Mumbai > Mumbai News > Article > Maharashtra CM Thackeray slams Centres Agnipath scheme says wrong to play with lives and ambition of youth

Maharashtra CM Thackeray slams Centre's Agnipath scheme, says wrong to play with lives and ambition of youth

Updated on: 19 June,2022 03:23 PM IST  |  Mumbai
PTI |

Addressing Shiv Sena MLAs and senior leaders on the occasion of the party's 56th foundation day, Thackeray said if the youth do not have jobs, there is no use of speaking only about Lord Ram

Maharashtra CM Thackeray slams Centre's Agnipath scheme, says wrong to play with lives and ambition of youth

CM Uddhav Thackeray. File Photo

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday hit out at the Centre over its 'Agnipath' military recruitment scheme and said it was wrong to play with the lives and ambitions of the country's youth.


Addressing Shiv Sena MLAs and senior leaders on the occasion of the party's 56th foundation day, Thackeray said if the youth do not have jobs, there is no use of speaking only about Lord Ram.


He said farmers were the first to take to the streets against some of the Centre's agriculture laws.


"You must assure only what you can deliver, " the chief minister said.

Why give names like 'Agniveer' and 'Agnipath' to schemes which have no meaning? What will the youth aged 17 to 21 years get after four years? he asked.
"Having soldiers on the contract is dangerous, and playing with the ambitions and lives of youth is wrong. There is no use of only speaking about Lord Ram, if the youth do not have jobs," the Sena president said.

Also Read: IAF releases details on Agnipath recruitment scheme

He said Maharashtra was calm, despite violent protests in some parts of the country against the 'Agnipath' scheme.

"Today may be my day, tomorrow some one else will emerge as a better alternative," he added.

The Centre had on Tuesday announced the scheme, saying youth between the ages of 17 and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure in the armed forces, while 25 per cent of them will be subsequently inducted for regular service.

The youths to be recruited under the new scheme would be called 'Agniveer'.

Later, in an attempt to pacify the protesters, the government on Thursday increased the upper age limit for recruitment under the 'Agnipath' scheme to 23 years from 21 for the year 2022.

As the protests intensified in various parts of the country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday approved a proposal to reserve 10 per cent of the jobs in various organisations under the ministry for recruits under the 'Agnipath' scheme if they meet the requisite eligibility criteria. 

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!

Register for FREE
to continue reading !

This is not a paywall.
However, your registration helps us understand your preferences better and enables us to provide insightful and credible journalism for all our readers.

Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK