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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJP MP Anurag Thakur got into a war of words in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. (Photo via PTI)
Yadav, speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Union Budget, accused the government of initially orchestrating supportive tweets from leading industrialists to promote the Agnipath plan
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJP MP Anurag Thakur got into a war of words on Tuesday over the Agnipath scheme in the Lok Sabha.
Yadav, speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Union Budget, accused the government of initially orchestrating supportive tweets from leading industrialists to promote the Agnipath scheme.
“When the Agniveer scheme was first launched, prominent industrialists took to Twitter to say that there was no better plan and that they would provide jobs to Agniveer. Perhaps the government remembered this because it admitted that the scheme was incorrect , which is why they asked the state government to provide quotas and employment opportunities for the returning Agnivirs.
In response, former Union Minister Thakur defended the Agnipath project, citing the military legacy of his home state of Himachal Pradesh.
“I am from Himachal Pradesh, which gave birth to the first Paramvir Chakra Award winner Somnath Sharma and had the highest number of martyrs in the Kargil War. Yes, I said Modi The government has met a long-standing need for a “primary pension”. Let me make it clear, Akhilesh ji, the Agniveer scheme guarantees 100 per cent employment,” he said.
Yadav pressed further, questioning if this was the case and if the scheme was so effective, then why the government felt the need to provide 10 per cent quota for Agnivir in Uttar Pradesh and other states.
“I asked a very simple question. If the scheme is indeed beneficial, why does the government need to provide quota in Uttar Pradesh and other states?” said the former UP chief minister.
The exchange created an uproar in the Lok Sabha and Yadav continued to stand his ground.
He highlighted his military school education and refuted Thakur's claims about Palamvir Chakra recipients, pointing out that Uttar Pradesh also had notable records.
Thakur retorted, highlighting his military service, “I served as a captain. Akhilesh ji, don't just preach. Sitting with Rahul Gandhi makes you accustomed to spreading rumors and lies.” In his final rebuttal , Yadav said Thakur's defensiveness stemmed from political insecurity.
“Perhaps you are more troubled because you are no longer a minister and you will not understand our pain. Your pain is obvious on your face.
(This report has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)
