Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday sarcastically asked the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to encourage their children to join the Centre's military recruitment scheme Agnipath and serve the country instead of pursuing engineering and medical professions.
"Let the BJP Ministers and leaders encourage their children to join Agnipath scheme to serve the military for four years. Why do their children want to become engineers, doctors and businessmen," he asked.
He was responding to BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal's statement that those who oppose the Centre's military recruitment scheme Agnipath are "anti-nationals". The Congress has been opposing the scheme on the grounds that it will weaken the country’s armed forces.
Mr. Yatnal had said that “the Agnipath was not against any religion or community.”
Asked about the alleged PSI scam, he urged the authorities to conduct narcoanalysis tests on those who were arrested so far. "Why is the Chief Minister, Home Minister and Higher Education Minister scared about the judicial probe if they are not involved in the scam", he asked.
Protest
Mr. Shivakumar said the party has decided to take out a Raj Bhavan chalo protest march on July 21 opposing the questioning of AICC president Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with alleged money laundering linked to the National Herald newspaper.
All party MPs, MLAs, MLCs and leaders would participate in the protest march from Freedom Park to the Raj Bhavan, he told reporters here.
All leaders would stage protests in front of Central government offices in districts on July 22 and oppose the “politics of vendetta” by the Modi government, he said.
The ED questioned Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi for nearly 50 hours for four consecutive days last month and probe agencies did not get anything to substantiate their charge in the money laundering case, he said.
Though Ms. Sonia Gandhi wanted to attend the Parliament session on July 21, the ED deliberately summoned her for questioning. The party would continue to protest against the misuse of Central agencies by the BJP government, the KPCC chief said.
