Owaisi demands Centre to revoke Agnipath scheme

New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Assaduddin Owaisi on Friday opposing the Centre's Agnipath scheme called it a 'wrong decision' stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to withdraw the Army recruitment policy, the way he revoked the three farm laws.

"Agnipath scheme is absolutely wrong decision taken by the Government and it is not good for the country at all. PM Modi thinks that our Navy officers and soldiers are contractual employees or contractual lecturers, but their profession is honourable," Owaisi said.

He criticised the Prime Minister over the Agnipath scheme, saying that the youth have come out on the roads due to his wrong decision.

"The way PM Modi revoked the land and farm laws, he has to take back this (Agnipath Scheme) decision as well for the security and the youth of the country," Owaisi added.

Earlier on Friday, Owaisi asked PM Modi to take ownership of the "reckless decision" and face the consequences.

"Sir @PMOIndia Please Stop hiding behind military chiefs Mr Modi. Have the guts to take ownership of your reckless decision and face the consequences. The anger of the youth of the country about their future is directed you and only you," the AIMIM chief tweeted.

Agnipath Scheme was launched by the government, on June 14, in an effort to bring a change in the recruitment process of the Armed Forces. With the new military recruitment scheme facing a backlash by Opposition, the Centre has decided to bring a change in the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday also said that a joint movement will be held at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on June 20 against the Agnipath Recruitment Scheme.

Protests have broken out in several parts of the country against the new recruitment scheme in the Armed Forces and the agitators are demanding the withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme. In some places, the protests turned violent as trains were set ablaze. One person died in Telangana's Secunderabad during the protest.

So far, more than 200 trains have been affected due to the protests against the Agnipath scheme, according to the Railways.