The Congress has launched a nationwide agitation to get the Agnipath scheme scrapped and support the 1.5 lakh candidates who were dumped after selection for the armed forces.

Sensing that the Agnipath scheme affected a large section of society, the Congress said on Wednesday that the armed forces would not be in a position to protect the country after some years. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had played with national security,” the chief of the Congress's Ex-Servicemen Cell, Col Rohit Chaudhary, said.

Announcing the agitation along with party spokesperson Pawan Khera and Youth Congress chief B.V. Srinivas, Chaudhary said: “We don’t want soldiers on contract. Only regular soldiers can save the country. The armed forces already have three lakh soldiers less. After 10 years, there will be only 10 lakh soldiers in India, out of which only three lakh will be regular soldiers. This will weaken our country. We will slip into slavery again.”

Chaudhary said: “Army veterans were not consulted and Agnipath is Modi’s brainwave. It has created a divide among soldiers. We are today launching the Jai Jawan Mission, which is aimed at saving the armed forces. This will also fight for justice to 1.5 lakh youths who were selected but dumped.”

The young candidates who cleared examinations but were not given appointment letters are sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar.

Khera lamented that Modi has time to pose for photographs in army uniform atop tanks but can’t meet these youngsters who were wronged.

As part of the Congress campaign, party workers will go door-to-door between February 1 and 28 to get Nyay Patras (forms) filled up against the Agnipath scheme. From March 5 to March 10, there will be countrywide demonstrations at all shaheed smaraks. The third phase of the agitation will see padyatras in every state between March 17 and 20.

“We will continue the agitation till we get justice for the 1.5 lakh boys and the Agnipath scheme is scrapped,” Khera said. These candidates who were selected but not recruited had earlier met Rahul Gandhi and had been assured full support from the Congress.