The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), on Saturday, condemned the Centre for not extending guard of honour to the first martyr of Agnipath scheme, Amritpal Singh, who sacrificed his life in Jammu and Kashmir at young age of 19.

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia flayed the Centre for not providing an Army ambulance to bring the body of the martyr back home in Punjab.

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The SAD has demanded immediate scrapping of the Agnipath Scheme and regularisation of services of all soldiers recruited under the scheme till date.

Majithia called it most tragic and unfortunate to see that due to Narendra Modi Government’s new scheme, a martyr of the country, who was all of 19 years, was not even provided with an Army ambulance to bring his body home. He called it the most shameful to note that even a customary guard of honour was not provided to a martyr.

The SAD leader said it is the most shameful and heinous policy framed for soldiers of the country who are always on the front to save their motherland from the enemy. “We have never witnessed such a scheme after Independence and we completely reject the Agnipath Scheme,” he added.

“Only yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah accepted that martyrs from Sikh community were at the forefront of saving the country. But what the government of India is doing with them,” Majithia asked.

The SAD leader said it was disturbing to note that this was policy for Agniveers to totally ignore them after their sacrifice for the country. In view of the insensitive approach of the Modi Government, youth will desist from getting recruited under the scheme.

Majithia demanded that the government should immediately stop the scheme and regularise services of all the Agniveers recruited till date. He also urged the Punjab government to honour its word and sanction Rs 1 crore as ex gratia and a job to a member of the martyr’s family.

Amritpal Singh, who attained martyrdom on Wednesday while performing his duty along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Mankote sector of the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, was cremated at his native village Kotli Kalan in the Mansa district on Friday.

Sepoy Amritpal, an Agniveer, was on duty as a sentry when he suffered a bullet injury and died on the spot. He was recently deployed on the border after six-month training. He was the lone son of his parents and had joined the Army in December 2022.

The Agnipath Scheme was launched last year to recruit soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces. All recruits are hired only for a four-year period. The launch of the scheme saw widespread protests against it across the country.