Tewari refuses to toe Cong line, doesn’t sign Agnipath statement

New Delhi: A week after arguing that Agnipath is part of much-needed military reforms and modernisation, Congress leader and Punjab MP Manish Tewari declined to sign a joint statement by six MPs, including two from Congress, asking the government to hold wider consultations and refer the discussion on the scheme to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on defence.

The Rajnath Singh-led consultative committee of defence met on Monday and made detailed presentations on the scheme to participating MPs. Apart from Singh, who chaired the meeting, the three service chiefs and the defence secretary also attended.

Opposition MPs demanded that Agnipath be referred to the parliamentary standing committee on defence for detailed discussion. They also said government should discuss the recruitment programme on the floor of the House when the monsoon session begins on July 18.

Tewari, meanwhile, sought to know the extent of impact Agnipath would have on the pension bill. He asked the service chiefs if the scheme will reduce the operational readiness of armed forces at the cutting-edge level. To this, the Army chief is understood to have assured the MPs that operational readiness of the forces will not be compromised.