Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on the Agnipath scheme, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday slammed called it a “blatant lie” and demanded that the scheme should be scrapped.

Earlier in the day, the PM, in his address on Kargil Vijay Diwas at Dras in Jammu and Kashmir, accused the Opposition of politicising the Agnipath Recruitment Scheme for the Army, saying they are deliberately misleading the youth on the issue.

He also said that the “Agnipath scheme is also an example of the necessary reforms done by the Army”.

Reacting to the PM’s statement, the Congress president wrote in a post on X, “It is very unfortunate and deplorable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is doing petty politics even on occasions like paying tribute to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas. No Prime Minister has ever done this before.”

Accusing the PM of spreading lies, he said, “Modi ji is saying that his government implemented the Agnipath scheme at the behest of the Army, this is a ‘blatant lie’ and an unforgivable insult to our valiant Armed Forces. Modi ji, it is you who are spreading lies. Former Army Chief (retd) General MM Naravane said on record that 75 per cent of recruits were to be taken for permanency in the ‘Agnipath scheme’ and 25 per cent of people were to be let go after four years. But the Modi government did the opposite, and forcibly implemented this scheme for all three Armed Forces.”

The Congress chief said, “According to news reports, Former Army Chief (retd) General MM Naravane in his book the publication of which has been stalled by the Modi Government, has also said, that the ‘Agnipath scheme’ was shocking for the Army, and for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt out of the blue.”

“Are we creating professional soldiers only by six months of training? Soldiers join the Army out of patriotism, not to earn a living. Many retired officers have strongly criticised Agnipath and said that it is endangering national security and the aspirations of the rural youth, demanding that this scheme should be completely scrapped. All this is on record,” he said.

Kharge, who is also the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha further said, “Agniveers do not get any pension, no gratuity, no family pension, no liberalized family pension and no education allowance for their children. Modi ji, 15 Agniveers have been martyred so far. At least respect their martyrdom. There is a lot of anger and strong opposition among the youth of the country regarding Agniveer. Congress party’s demand is consistent-the Agnipath scheme should be scrapped.”