Rahul Gandhi to visit temples during Padayatra targeting Agniveer scheme in U’khand
Sunday, 16 JULY 2023 | GAJENDRA SINGH NEGI | DEHRADUN
The central leadership of Congress party is trying to conjure up a concoction of patriotism and soft Hindutva to revive its electoral fortunes in Uttarakhand. The party leadership is learnt to have selected many prominent temples where party leaders including former president Rahul Gandhi would pay obeisance during the proposed Padayatra in Uttarakhand. The party has already made it clear that the Yatra would focus on the purported detrimental effect of the Agniveer scheme on the youths.
Based on the response of the people of Uttarakhand, the Congress leadership is likely to implement this formula of patriotism- soft Hindutva in other Northern States of the country including Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana as a major chunk of recruitment in armed forces comes from these States.
Though the State unit of the Congress is yet to finalise the schedule of the Yatra it is learnt that it would commence from Golu Devta temple in Kumaon and end at Mahasu Devta temple in Jaunsar-Bhawar region. The Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is also likely to participate in the Padayatra in Uttarakhand.
Political observers point out that the focus on Agniveer scheme is an attempt by the Congress party to corner the BJP in the
State where serving in the armed forces of the country is a dream of a majority of youngsters.
The State has an influential vote bank of the ex-servicemen. A rough estimate puts the number of armed forces veterans and Veer Naris (widows of armed forces personnel) at 1.75 lakhs in addition to about 30,000 retired paramilitary forces personnel. Apart from them an estimated 1.50 lakh personnel belonging to the State are serving in different wings of the armed forces.
The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara told The Pioneer that the schedule of the Padayatra would be finalised soon. He said that the 50-day event would cover all parts of the State and for 10 days, Rahul Gandhi would take part in it. He said that the dreams of the youngsters aspiring to join armed forces have been shattered by the Agniveer scheme. Terming the scheme detrimental to the interests of the country, Mahara said that the Russian army followed a similar type of recruitment scheme and the country is paying a heavy price in the war with Ukraine. He said that Uttarakhand is land of the Garhwal and Kumaon regiments but the Agniveer scheme has shattered the dream of youngsters here. Mahara added that the detachment of the youngsters can be understood from the fact that 54 selected Agniveers have left training so far.
