Hyderabad: Demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give directions to withdraw cases against Telangana youth in connection with the recent arson at the Secunderabad Railway station, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A. Revanth Reddy on Monday assured that the Congress would assist the injured and jailed youth in engaging advocates to get bail for the arrested army aspirants.
Addressing a gathering at Satyagraha Deeksha organised to protest against the Agnipath scheme at Malkajgiri on Monday, Revanth Reddy demanded the Prime Minister step into the state during his two-day visit to the city only after withdrawing cases against the Telangana youth in connection with the Agnipath protests.
He said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao must bring pressure on the BJP government at the Centre to withdraw cases against the Telangana youth and the state government should extend their support to the family members of the arrested youth.
"TRS leaders, Ministers and MLAs have participated in the final rites procession of Rakesh who died in firing in Secunderabad Railway station. Later, the TRS party forgot the arrested youth issues in the state. A number of students from poor and middle-class families were arrested in the incident and jailed by registering criminal cases," Revanth Reddy said.
Blaming Modi for introducing the Agnipath scheme, the TPCC chief alleged that the BJP government at the Centre is trying to privatise the Indian Army by neglecting the country's security and integration. As per the Agnipath scheme, youth between 17 years to 21 years would be eligible to get Army jobs and would get retirement within four years.
"Based on the Agnipath scheme, the Army employees will lose benefits such as pensions, health facilities and education facilities to their children. After working four years in the Army, the candidates will lose their jobs and will be ineligible for other jobs. The BJP government deliberately is trying to introduce the scheme without any discussion in Parliament," the TPCC chief alleged.
Stating that lakh of candidates would lose an opportunity if the BJP government introduced the Agnipath scheme to recruit candidates into the Indian Army, Revanth Reddy said the Congress would take to the streets till the BJP withdrew the Agnipath scheme.
Revanth Reddy demanded the state and Central governments to provide employment to 50 lakh unemployed youth in Telangana.
