Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday defended the controversial Agnipath scheme as “necessary reform” of the armed forces and criticised “those people” who he said are “misleading” the youth and the jawans on an issue that is linked to national security.

He was speaking in Drass on the 25th anniversary of the declaration of victory in the Kargil War.

“Over the years our armed forces have taken many brave decisions. One of the necessary reforms undertaken by the army is also the Agnipath scheme,” he said towards the end of his speech.

“For decades, from Parliament to many committees, there have been discussions on making the forces younger. Indian soldiers’ average age being more than the global age has increased our worries. That’s why this subject for years has been raised in many committees,” he said.

“But there was no willingness to address this challenge linked to India’s security. Maybe the mentality of some people was that soldier means saluting the political leaders, parading. For us, soldier means the trust of 140 crore countrymen. For us, army means the guarantee of peace for 140 crore people of the country. For us, army means the guarantee of security of our borders.

“Through the Agnipath scheme, the country has addressed this important dream,” he said. “The aim of Agnipath is to make our armed forces younger. The aim of the Agnipath scheme is to keep our forces battle ready at all times.”

He did not name Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader who has led a sustained attack on the Agnipath scheme of temporary recruitments to the army, but laid into critics of the scheme.

“Unfortunately, such a sensitive subject linked to national security has been made the subject of politics by some people. Some people were doing politics for selfish gains on this important reform of the armed forces,” he said.

“These are the same people who weakened our armed forces with scams worth thousands of crores. These are the same people who did not want the air force to get modern fighter jets. These are the same people who had even prepared to box up the Tejas fighter plane.

“Friends, the reality is that through the Agnipath scheme, the country will get stronger and the country’s youth will come forward to serve the motherland.

“Private sector and paramilitary forces have also announced they will prioritise hiring Agniveers,” he added.

“I am exasperated; what has happened to the sensibility of some people? They are spreading canards that the government has introduced this scheme to save the expense on pension. I am ashamed at the thought process of such people. I want to ask them, tell me, today in Modi’s reign the person who joins, does he have to be given today? That person will need to be given pension after 30 years. At that time Modi would be 105 years old. Is Modi such a politician that he will suffer abuses now for what will happen when he is 105? What logic are they giving?”

He continued: “But friends for me it’s not the party but the country that is supreme. I say with pride that we have honoured this decision taken by the armed forces. And like I said earlier, I don’t work for politics, I work for statecraft. For us national security is supreme. For us the peace for the 140 crore people is paramount.

“Those people who are misleading the youth of the country, their history shows they have never cared for the armed forces. These are the same people who kept citing a paltry amount, Rs 500 crore, to deny One Rank One Pension. It is our government that implemented One Rank One Pension. Veterans have been given more than Rs 1.15 lakh crore. Compare the amounts? So much lies? And the sin of misleading the jawans?”

He did not stop there.

“These are the same people who for seven decades after Independence despite demands from the forces and martyr’s families did not build a war memorial for our soldiers. They kept stalling it. They kept forming committees. They kept showing plans,” he said.

“These are the same people who did not even give the jawans guarding our border enough bullet-proof jackets. And friends these are the same people who kept criticising Kargil Vijay Diwas.”