RSS raises concern over rising food prices

New Delhi: Expressing concern over the ever-increasing inflation and rising food prices in the country, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has advised serious consideration on the issues.

Hosabale made the remarks while addressing the two-day conference organised by RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and Agricultural Economics Research Centre.

He said that food, clothing and housing are the basic needs of the people and so the prices should be affordable and bearable.

He also stressed that the basic necessities should be affordable but the burden should not be passed on to the farmers, adding that cooperatives can play a big role in this regard. In his address, Hosabale gave the credit for the development of agriculture in the country in the past 75 years since independence to the governments, scientists and farmers. He also stressed the need for a movement to make agriculture attractive in order to stop migration from villages to cities.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the Centre over the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, saying the country's security and the future of the youth are in danger with this "new experiment" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "laboratory".

Sixty thousand soldiers retire every year, out of which only 3,000 are getting government jobs, Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"What will be the future of thousands of 'Agniveers' retiring after 4-year contracts," the former Congress chief asked.

"With this new experiment of the Prime Minister's laboratory, both the security of the country and the future of the youth are in danger," Gandhi said.

Several parts of the country had witnessed protests after the announcement of the scheme that seeks to recruit youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.

The Congress has been protesting against the scheme and has repeatedly demanded that a discussion be held on it in Parliament.

The first-ever examination for the recruitment in Indian Air Force through the new 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme began across the country on Sunday morning amid tight police security.

This exam is being conducted in many parts of the country including Delhi, Kanpur and Patna.