‘Toolkit Gang’ Distorted My Agniveer Remark, Says BJP Leader Kailash Vijayvargiya After Oppn Outrage

BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Sunday alleged that the “toolkit gang” twisted his comments on ‘Agniveers’ and that all he meant was the excellence of these soldiers will be utilised in whichever field they go to after completing their tenure. Vijayvargiya’s comments that “If I have to have security (personnel) in this BJP office, I will give priority to Agniveer’ invited sharp criticism from the Opposition — and also from BJP MP Varun Gandhi — which accused him of insulting soldiers and demanded an apology.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Indore, Vijayvargiya said that in Army training, the first is discipline and the second is following orders. He (Agniveer) will undergo training and when he comes out (of the armed forces) after four years of service, he would have Rs 11 lakh in his hand. And he would also walk around with the badge of Agniveer on his chest. He went on to say, “If I have to have security (personnel) in this BJP office, I will give priority to Agniveer.”

Following the comments, the Madhya Congress hit out at the BJP leader and said he insulted the soldiers. “BJP general secretary insulting soldiers. Agniveer will become a watchman outside the BJP office. Mr Modi, this was the mentality we were afraid of – shameless government,” it said.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at the BJP leader, saying now “we know” what the BJP really meant when it launched the ‘Main Bhi Chowkidaar’ campaign in 2019.

Lambasting Vijayvargiya, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the youth of the country join the Army to serve the nation, not to be a guard outside the BJP office later. Don’t insult the youth and army personnel of the country this much, Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Opposition was also joined by BJP MP Varun Gandhi, who slammed Vijayvargiya saying that the “youth of our country work hard day and night to pass the physical exam, pass the test because they want to serve the country for their entire life by joining the Army, not because they want to be a guard outside the BJP office”.

“Our great army’s heroic tales cannot be expressed with mere words and its valour echoes in the entire world,” Gandhi, an MP from Pilibhit, said, accusing the BJP national general secretary of offering the job of a “chowkidar” (watchman) to soldiers after retirement. “Indian Army is a means to serve mother India, not merely a job,” Gandhi said.

In a tweet later, Vijayvargiya clarified his earlier remarks and alleged that people associated with “toolkit” were twisting his remarks to insult “karmveer”. The country is aware of the toolkit gang’s conspiracies, the BJP leader said. “This would be an insult to the Karmveers of the country. The nation is well aware of the conspiracies of this toolkit gang against the Rashtraveer and Dharmveer,” he added.

The Centre on Tuesday announced the Agnipath scheme for four-year contractual military recruitment that has sparked protests in many parts of the country and is being questioned by many parties. The soldiers to be recruited under this plan will be called Agniveers.

(With inputs from PTI)

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