Shashwati Chowdhury
Published on: June 21, 2022 at 16:46 IST
A petition in the Supreme Court has been filed against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme, alleging that the government has quashed the century-old selection procedure for the Armed Forces in violation of constitutional provisions and without Parliamentary approval.
The Plea filed by Advocate Manohar Lal Sharma said, “Contrary to the constitutional provisions and without having approval in Parliament and without any Gazette notification, the respondent (Centre) quashed century-old army selection process and imposed impugned Agniveer-22 scheme in the country… and declared to start it from June 24.”
On Saturday, a lawyer filed a PIL seeking that a SIT be formed to investigate the violent protests against the Agnipath scheme, as well as the damage done to public property, including railways.
The petition further sought that an expert committee be formed under the chairmanship of a former Supreme Court Judge to examine the Agnipath scheme and its impact on national security and the Army of the nation.
The petition, filed by Advocate Vishal Tiwari, stated that it wishes to bring the Court’s attention to the country’s devastation as a result of the Agnipath scheme launched by the Centre through its Ministry of Defence.
Advocate Harsh Ajay Singh also filed a PIL seeking that the Centre reviews its Agnipath armed forces recruiting scheme. According to the petition, Shinde’s announcement of the scheme sparked nationwide protests in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and other states due to the short-term duration of the scheme in the Indian Army for four years, coupled with future uncertainties of the trained “Agniveers.” The petition also sought a stay on the scheme’s implementation beginning in June.
