Agnipath Scheme: Varun Gandhi Urges Members Of Parliament To Give Up Pension For Agniveers

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi today urged members of parliament to give up their pensions in the interest of the nation and help facilitate pension for Agniveers.

BJP leader Varun Gandhi ( Image Source :ANI )

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi has urged members of parliament to give up their pensions in the interest of the nation and help facilitate pension for Agniveers. While taking to twitter on Monday, the BJP leader said that the people of the country have always sacrificed for the wellbeing of the poor and the country by either giving up their LPG subsidy or paying taxes for 'Swatch Abhiyan', the MPs should also follow the same.

"The people of India sometimes gave up their LPG subsidy and sometimes paid cleanliness cess, can't we, the MLA/sMPs, give up our pension to ensure that Agniveers get a pension," he wrote on his twitter handle in Hindi.

भारत की महान जनता ने कभी स्वच्छता के लिए टैक्स दिया तो कभी जरूरतमंदों को गैस मिले इसलिए अपनी सब्सिडी छोड़ी।

इस त्याग भाव से प्रेरणा लेकर क्या हम सभी देशभक्त सांसद अपनी पेंशन का त्याग कर सरकार का ‘बोझ’ कम नही कर सकते?

अग्निवीरों को पेंशन की राह आसान नहीं कर सकते?#राष्ट्र_प्रथम

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) June 27, 2022

Varun Gandhi has strongly been vouching for pension to Agniveers. Earlier on Friday, the BJP MP had said if those recruited in the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme are not eligible for a pension, then public representatives should also not get this post-retirement benefit, reported PTI.

Since the scheme was unveiled by the Centre on June 14, Gandhi has been a critique of it. The scheme aims to recruit young soldiers on a contractual basis for four years and retire 75 per cent of the strength without pension and health benefits. The Agniveers have, however, been assured  of an exit package of Rs 11.70 lakh by the government.

“If Agniveers who serve for a short period of time are not entitled to a pension, then why this ‘facility’ should be for public representatives? If those who protect the country do not have the right to pension then I am also ready to forego mine,” he said in a tweet in Hindi, reported PTI.