Rahul Gandhi’s Fresh Attack Amid Agniveer Row: ‘Insurance, Compensation Different’

Historical Context: The Agnipath scheme, introduced by the Indian government in 2022, aims to recruit young individuals into the armed forces for a short-term period of four years. This initiative has been a subject of significant debate and controversy, with various political leaders and parties expressing concerns over its implementation and the benefits provided to the recruits, known as Agniveers.

Article: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has once again raised concerns regarding the claims made by the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who was killed in the line of duty. Gandhi asserted that the family has not yet received any compensation from the government.

Rahul Gandhi, the Member of Parliament from Raebareli, shared a video on social media platform X, featuring the father of the deceased Agniveer. The video revealed that the family received Rs 50 lakh as insurance from a private bank and Rs 48 lakh from the Army Group Insurance Fund.

In the video, Gandhi emphasized that the family had not received any ex-gratia payment from the government and questioned why the salary arrears had not been credited to their bank account. He differentiated between ‘compensation’ and ‘insurance,’ stating that the family of Ajay Kumar has not received the assistance they should have from the government.

“The family of martyr Agniveer Ajay Kumar has not received any compensation from the government till date. There is a difference between ‘compensation’ and ‘insurance’. The payment has been made to the family of the martyr only by the insurance company,” Gandhi said in a post in Hindi.

Gandhi further criticized the Modi government, stating that every martyr who sacrifices their life for the country should be respected, but the current administration is discriminating against them. He emphasized that this is a matter of national security and vowed to keep raising the issue.

The INDIA bloc, according to Gandhi, will never allow the armed forces to be weakened. In the video, Kumar’s father reiterated that no money had been received from the central government and demanded that his family be given all the promised facilities, including a pension and a canteen card.

“Rajnath Singh said that the family of martyrs has been given Rs 1 crore. We haven’t got that,” the father of the martyr said.

Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the disparities in posthumous benefits between normal jawans and Agniveers, arguing that both should be honored equally if they have laid down their lives for the country.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has called on the Centre to issue a “white paper” on the Agnipath scheme to reveal the ground reality. The party has also accused Rajnath Singh of lying in Parliament about the compensation issue and demanded an apology.

Agniveer Ajay Kumar, aged 23, was killed on January 18 in a landmine blast near the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Summary in Bullet Points:

• Rahul Gandhi raised concerns about the compensation claims made by the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar.
• The family received Rs 50 lakh from a private bank and Rs 48 lakh from the Army Group Insurance Fund.
• Gandhi emphasized the difference between ‘compensation’ and ‘insurance’ and stated that the family had not received any ex-gratia payment from the government.
• He criticized the Modi government for discriminating against martyrs and vowed to keep raising the issue.
• The INDIA bloc will not allow the armed forces to be weakened, according to Gandhi.
• Kumar’s father demanded all promised facilities, including a pension and a canteen card.
• Congress called for a “white paper” on the Agnipath scheme and accused Rajnath Singh of lying in Parliament.
• Agniveer Ajay Kumar was killed on January 18 in a landmine blast near the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.