Former Indian Air Force (IAF) chief RKS Bhadauria criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, though he did not mention him by name, for questioning the Agniveer scheme and called for an apology. Bhadauria emphasized that the Army should not be involved in political matters.
His remarks followed Gandhi’s accusation that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lied about providing compensation to the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who died in service. Bhadauria pointed out that extensive discussions were held in Parliament about the Agniveer scheme, and claimed the controversy over the compensation was unwarranted, stating that nearly ₹98 crore had already been given to Ajay Kumar’s family, with an additional ₹67 lakh to be provided.
Calling Gandhi’s claim “absolutely wrong,” Bhadauria described the issue as emotional and reiterated that the Army should remain apolitical. He defended the Agniveer scheme as a well-considered initiative implemented after thorough discussions, ensuring that recruits are trained to the same standard as regular soldiers and will perform equally well in battle.
Bhadauria urged the youth to join the Army under the Agniveer scheme and not to be misled by negative claims. This came after Gandhi released a video on Wednesday featuring the father of an Agniveer who alleged that no compensation or assistance was provided by the Centre following his son’s death in a landmine explosion in Naushera, Jammu and Kashmir, in January.
Gandhi accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of lying in Parliament about the assistance given to the Agniveer’s family and demanded an apology. However, the Indian Army promptly refuted Gandhi’s claims, asserting that the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar had already received ₹98.39 lakh, with additional benefits totaling ₹67 lakh to be paid after due process, amounting to approximately ₹1.65 crore in total.
Additionally, Gandhi, recently appointed as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, sparked controversy with his remarks against the Agnipath recruitment policy for the armed forces. Several parts of his speech, including criticisms of the BJP, were subsequently expunged from the parliamentary records.
