Cong spreading lies on Agnipath scheme: Haryana CM

New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday hit out at the Congress, saying it was unfortunate that the party was indulging in politics over the Agnipath scheme on a day when the entire nation paid tributes to martyrs on Kargil Vijay Diwas.

His reaction came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other leaders of the party said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that his government implemented the short-term recruitment scheme at the behest of the army was a "blatant lie".

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also accused Modi of "lying" and said former army chief General MM Naravane had written that the scheme came as a complete surprise to the army and as a "bolt from the blue" to the navy and air force.

Modi is now trying to evade responsibility for "this disastrous scheme", Ramesh alleged.

Hitting back at the Congress, Saini, a senior BJP leader, said it was unfortunate that the Congress was playing politics on the Agnipath scheme even on the day when the entire country was paying tributes to martyrs of the Kargil War.

"On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, the entire country is paying tributes to the martyrs. I pay may sincere tribute to all those great people," Saini told a press conference at the Haryana Bhavan here.

"But it is unfortunate that the Congress is engaged in politics even today. It did not even remember those who laid their lives to protect the country. It is unfortunate that Mallikarjun Kharge is still indulging in politics and spreading lies. The Congress is misleading the youth of the country," he said.

"It is in the DNA of the Congress to defame and look down upon soldiers," Saini said.

He also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of spreading lies about the Agnipath scheme and claimed that the Congress-led UPA did not do any development work at country's borders.

"The Congress-led UPA government did not even buy bullet proof jackets for our soldiers. There was a shortage of advanced weapons during its rule," he charged and hailed Prime Minister Modi, saying during his term the government made the Indian armed forces self-reliant.

"Prime Minister Modi is correcting the mistakes made by the Congress during its regimes," he added.

Saini said Prime Minister Modi has praised the Haryana government's decision to provide Agniveers reservation in jobs and other announcements for their welfare.

"Prime Minister Modi today praised our decision. I thank the prime minister with all my heart for appreciating our decision. We will leave no stone unturned in carrying forward his mission," he said.

Last week, Haryana's BJP government announced 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers in the recruitment of constables, forest guards and jail wardens, along with quotas in other posts, months ahead of the assembly polls.

Chief Minister Saini also said that in the recruitment for civil posts in Group B and Group C, the government has decided to grant Agniveers a relaxation of three years in the upper age limit. "However, for the first batch of Agniveers, this age relaxation will be five years," he added.

He said his government will also provide Agniveers five per cent reservation in direct recruitments for civil posts in Group C and one per cent in Group B.

Saini also announced that if an Agniveer takes a loan of up to Rs 5 lakh to start a business, no interest will be charged on it. PTI PK PK ANB ANB