Defence minister Rajnath Singh making 'Kutark' on provision of seeking caste details from 'Agniveers': Upendra Kushwaha

PATNA: In a strong-worded tweet that is likely to rankle ally BJP, JD(U)’s Parliamentary Board chairman Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday said the Defence minister Rajnath Singh is making ‘Kutark’ (fallacious argument) to continue the provision of seeking caste details from ‘Agniveer’ aspirants in the name of an old practice (in the Army).
While sharing a newspaper clipping of Singh’s statement on his Twitter handle, Kushwaha said, “Honourable minister, the question is not when did the custom of seeking caste and religion details in the Army start.”
“The simple question is what is the relevance of having the provision of seeking caste details? Why this ‘Kutark’ to maintain this provision when even irrelevant and traditional laws can be scrapped?” Kushwaha asked in a tweet in Hindi.
Singh had on Tuesday said that the provision of seeking caste details in the Army was continuing even before the Independence and the old provision was continuing in the new system of recruitment of ‘Agniveers’. “Whatever procedures for recruitment (in the Army) were prevailing before Independence, all were continuing even today. There is no change in the procedures,” Singh said on Tuesday.
The announcement of ‘Agnipath' scheme, which caused widespread resentment among the youths preparing for Army jobs resulting into a series of violent incidents and burning of trains in Bihar, also exposed fissures between the JD(U) and ally BJP. The JD(U) is the largest ally of BJP in the NDA and both share power in Bihar.
Earlier on Tuesday, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav too had questioned the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre on the issue of the provision of seeking details of caste and religion from the ‘Agniveers'.
“What is the need for seeking caste details when there is no provision of caste-based reservation in recruitment of ‘Agniveers’ under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme?” asked Tejashwi.
The younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad also alleged, “Agniveers are being asked to disclose their caste so that the RSS, which is the most casteist organisation in the country, could get the candidates screened on the basis of their castes.”