Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 26 attacked the Opposition on the Agnipath Scheme, saying that they are playing politics on a sensitive issue connected to the defence and security system of the country. PM Modi said this after visiting the Kargil War Memorial in Dras (Ladakh) where he commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Vijay Diwas and paid homage to the soldiers who were martyred during the 1999 war.
Speaking after the event, he said, “The Agnipath Scheme is an example of the reforms that are necessary for our forces. For decades debates and discussions have been held on how to ensure that the Armed Forces stay young and always battle-ready. The average age of an Indian soldier is higher than the global average which is a concern. Various committees discussed this but no government expressed the willingness to take the right step.”
“Through the Agnipath Scheme, the country addressed the issue. The Scheme aims at keeping the forces young and battle-ready,” said the PM. PM Modi slammed the Opposition for playing politics on the Scheme. He said, “Unfortunately, some for their personal gains are playing politics over the issue. They are the same people who were involved in various defence-related scams and weakened our forces. They are the same people who never wanted the Air Force to get modern fighter jets. They are the same people who were planning to put Tejas fighter plane project in deep freeze.”
