Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on Saturday, said the Agnipath scheme for Army recruitment will not work in India.

Addressing a press conference after a delegation of Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to the representative of Haryana Governor against the Enforcement Directorate’s illegal action on Congress leaders and the Agnipath scheme, Hooda said the Agnipath scheme is neither in the interest of the country nor in the interest of the youth.

He said contract recruitment amounts to playing with the future of the youth and the security of the country. The Congress leader said the youth of Haryana would suffer the most due to the Agnipath scheme because joining the armed forces and serving the country is the dream of every youth from Haryana. “We are proud of the fact that every 10th soldier of the country comes from Haryana,” he said.

Hooda said before doing military reform, it is very important to consult with all the sections affected by it. “This raises concern for the security of the country because such a big change in army recruitment has been done without any pilot project and examining its results,” he said.

“Such schemes work well in countries with low populations like Israel, where there is no unemployment or youth do not want to enlist in the army. But the situation in India is completely different and this is why this plan will not work here,” the Congress leader added.

Hooda said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is acting against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the behest of the government due to political vendetta and the Congress party stands strongly against this.

Meanwhile, Haryana Congress president Udaybhan said on the one hand the Union government talked about one rank, one pension, on the other, it’s implementing the policy of no rank, no pension today.

“In a country that has raised slogans of Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan, this government has neither spared the farmer nor the jawan. From agriculture laws and demonetisation, to the Agnipath scheme every time BJP has taken decisions without taking public into confidence. This is why they have to face failure again and again,” he said.

On the ED proceedings in the National Herald case, Udaybhan termed it unnecessary and inhuman. “No case of money laundering is made out in the National Herald case. This kind of action is being taken in a systematic manner just to defame the Congress leaders, but Congress will fight it firmly and will fight from the streets to the Parliament,” he said.