The Congress is seeking to corner the BJP on the Agnipath scheme in Himachal Pradesh where almost every family has a soldier in the armed forces, asking if they were happy with the four-year job tenure introduced by the Narendra Modi government.
Addressing a massive public rally in Kangra on Friday, Priyanka Gandhi said: “Your children will retire from the army after four years. They are saying they can become peons and guards after serving the Indian Army. Earlier, 4,000 youths were recruited every year by the army from Himachal. Now in the fixed quota system, only 400-500 will be recruited. Out of that, 75 per cent will retire in four years. They can’t give you ranks, they can’t give you pension.”
While Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said the BJP had insulted Himachal’s youths by saying that they could serve in their offices as “chaprasi” (peon), Priyanka said the Modi government was committed to protecting the corporate interest only.
“They say the old pension scheme can’t be continued because there is no money. Prices can’t be lowered because there is no money. But corporate loans worth Rs 10 lakh crore can be written off. Public sector companies can be sold to friends. We promise to reintroduce the old pension scheme and withdraw the Agnipath scheme,” Priyanka said.
The state is called a “land of soldiers” and the sentiment of ex-servicemen and army aspirants decisively influences the elections. The irony is that the BJP is not making any mention of the Agnipath scheme, which they rolled out against stiff resistance across the country.
On Friday, BJP chief J.P. Nadda addressed a rally in Dharmpur where he referred to Modi’s several schemes like Ujjawala, free vaccine, solar energy, toilets, and digital India but avoided Agnipath. Demonetisation is another important decision of the Modi government that no BJP leader ever mentions in any election.
Aware that soldiers have a special place in Himachal politics, Nadda took care to explain Modi’s special relations with the armed forces. He recalled how Modi spent all
his Diwali with soldiers, how the forces were now free to retaliate against Pakistani firing, and the fact that India had now become a big exporter of arms and ammunition.
He also said ex-servicemen would recall how difficult it was to operate in Jammu & Kashmir before the abolition of Article 370. He didn’t explain how these things help the families of the soldiers worried about retirement in four years.
However, he chose not to explain the benefits of the Agnipath scheme and the vision behind retiring young soldiers at the age of 23 or 25.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh are not talking about the Agnipath scheme. The Congress, however, has made it a key election plank, sensing the unease among the families caused by the scheme.
While slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” rent the air at the BJP meetings, welfare promises draw huge cheer at the Congress meetings. The Congress has pledged to sell LPG cylinders for Rs 500 and offer a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 to every woman among other promises. They are asking the voters to trust them on the basis of their delivery in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Both chief ministers, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel, are key campaigners in the elections in the absence of Rahul Gandhi.
Rajasthan’s healthcare scheme of free treatment worth Rs 10 lakh, Chhattisgarh’s highest payment for paddy procurement and both the states’ decisions to waive off farm loan and restore old pension scheme are showcased at every Congress rally. Even on Friday, Priyanka exhorted the people of Himachal to vote for the Congress on the basis of their governance in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while arguing that “good governance is possible only if the intent is good”.