New Delhi: Former Indian Navy chief, Arun Prakash, has publicly questioned the combat capabilities of the Agni Veers, recruits under the Indian government’s contentious Agneepath recruitment scheme, amid calls from opposition leaders to abandon the program.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Arun Prakash expressed concerns on X, focusing on the Agni Veers’ preparedness for combat roles within the Indian Army. “There is a lot of talk about the discriminatory treatment of Agni Veers and their future post-service, but their actual fighting ability remains largely unexamined,” he noted. Prakash criticized the scheme for potentially compromising the army’s effectiveness by incorporating inadequately trained personnel.

Reacting to Prakash’s post, Sachin Pawar, a former Indian Army officer, supported these concerns, suggesting that the scheme poses a significant risk to the army’s operational capabilities. “Nothing will change until the leaders of the three forces openly oppose this scheme,” Pawar stated.

The Agneepath scheme, introduced in 2022, has been under scrutiny from various quarters, including Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, who lambasted the government for initiating such a pivotal change without broader consultations.