Opposition Slams Centre For Asking Caste And Religion In Agnipath Recruitment

The opposition parties have hit out at the ruling BJP for including caste and religion certificates in list of necessary documents required for those willing to join the Agnipath recruitment scheme.

As the recruitment process for the contentious scheme began in various states across the country, RJD Leader and LoP In Bihar assembly Tejashwi Yadav slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for having caste and religion section under the documents required during the recruitment of Agniveers.

Referring to popular Hindi idiom “never ask the caste of a sage or a monk”, Tejashwi in his jibe said: “But ask the caste of the soldier.”

Taking to Twitter, Mr Yadav wrote: “The BJP government of the Sangh runs away from the caste census but asks caste from the Agniveer brothers who gave their lives for the service of the country. They are asking castes because the country’s largest casteist organization RSS will later sort out Agniveers on the basis of caste.”

“For 75 years after independence, the contract “Agneepath” system was not in force in the army. After joining the army, there was no retrenchment of 75% of the soldiers, but the radical casteist government of the Sangh will now lay off 75% of the soldiers by looking at the caste / religion. When there is no reservation in the army, then what is the need of caste certificate?” Mr Yadav said.

आजादी के बाद 75 वर्षों तक सेना में ठेके पर “अग्निपथ” व्यवस्था लागू नहीं थी। सेना में भर्ती होने के बाद 75% सैनिकों की छँटनी नहीं होती थी लेकिन संघ की कट्टर जातिवादी सरकार अब जाति/धर्म देखकर 75% सैनिकों की छँटनी करेगी।सेना में जब आरक्षण है ही नहीं तो जाति प्रमाणपत्र की क्या जरूरत? https://t.co/x8mpIwLcJC

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) July 19, 2022

Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh also  attacked the Centre over a now-viral section of the recruitment application for the Indian army. Sanjay Singh claimed that it was the first that the caste is being asked for the first time in army.

In a strongly worded tweet, Mr Singh wrote: “The bad face of Modi government has come in front of the country. Does Modi ji not consider dalits/backward/tribals eligible for army recruitment? For the first time in the history of India, caste is being asked in “Army Recruitment”. Modi ji you have to make “Agniveer” or “Jaativeer”.

मोदी सरकार का घटिया चेहरा देश के सामने आ चुका है।
क्या मोदी जी दलितों/पिछड़ों/आदिवासियों को सेना भर्ती के क़ाबिल नही मानते?
भारत के इतिहास में पहली बार “सेना भर्ती “ में जाति पूछी जा रही है।
मोदी जी आपको “अग्निवीर” बनाना है या “जातिवीर” pic.twitter.com/fxgBre38Ft

— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) July 19, 2022