Rahul Gandhi Criticises Rajnath Singh Over Agniveer Compensation; Indian Army Responds

Hours after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was accused by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of "lying" in Parliament regarding compensation to families of martyred Agniveers and demanded an apology, the Army on Wednesday refuted the claim, stating that Agniveer's family had been paid ₹98 lahks.

Photo Credit: X

Indian Army Responds To RaGa's 'False Claims'

Taking To X, formerly known as Twitter, Rahul Gandhi wrote, " Protection of truth is the basis of every religion! But Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lied in Parliament about the assistance given to the family of martyred Agniveer. Martyr Agniveer Ajay Singh's father himself has told the truth about their lies. The Defence Minister should apologise to the Parliament, the country, the Army and the family of martyr Agniveer Ajay Singh ji."

In response to the post shared by Gandhi and his sister on X, supposedly by the father of a deceased Agniveer who alleged that Rajnath Singh's claim of ₹1 crore compensation to martyred Agniveers' next of kin had not been received by his family, the Army stated, "Social media posts have claimed that compensation hasn't been paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who died in the line of duty. It is reiterated that emoluments due to a fallen hero are promptly paid to the next of kin of deceased soldiers, including Agniveers."

The Indian Army, in a statement on X, expressed its respect for Agniveer Ajay Kumar's ultimate sacrifice, noting that his last rites were performed with full Military Honours.

The Army's post read: "Of the total amount due, ₹98.39 lakh has already been paid to the family of Agniveer Ajay. Ex-gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately ₹67 lakh, as stipulated by the Agniveer Scheme, will be disbursed upon final account settlement, following the necessary police verification. The total amount will be approximately ₹1.65 crore."

These remarks were made following Rajnath Singh's rebuttal to Gandhi's accusations in the Lok Sabha about the Agnipath military recruitment scheme. Singh asserted that the scheme had been introduced after consultations with 158 organizations and emphasized that an Agniveer who dies in the line of duty is entitled to ₹1 crore in compensation.

Singh requested that Gandhi refrain from misleading Parliament and urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge Gandhi's comments on the Agnipath scheme. Singh also mentioned that similar schemes are in place in countries such as the US and the UK without objection. In response, Gandhi asserted, "Rajnath Singh has an opinion and I have an opinion, but Agniveers know the truth. Agniveers know what they have to face."