Akhilesh Yadav vows to scrap Agnipath scheme when INDIA comes to power

Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday (July 27) pledged to axe the Agnipath scheme "as soon as we come to power".

Yadav, who is a member of Lok Sabha, said this a day after chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced reservation for retired Agniveers.

In a post on X, Yadav said: "As soon as we come to power, the short-term 'Agniveer' military recruitment that compromises the security of the country and plays with the future of the soldiers will be cancelled within 24 hours.

"This is our demand on 'Agniveer' … The old recruitment (model) should be reinstated," he said.

Adityanath’s promise for Agniveers

Adityanath on Friday said the Uttar Pradesh government would grant weightage to Agniveers who returned from service for recruitment in the police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary.

The Centre in 2022 unveiled the Agnipath scheme to recruit youths aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 in the army, navy and the air force, largely on a four-year contractual basis.

Those recruited under the scheme will be known as Agniveers.

After completion of their four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch will be offered regular service.

Several states have said they will recruit retired Agniveers in their respective police forces.