Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday slammed Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on scrapping the Agniveer scheme, saying that the Congress MP is a “burden” on his mother and former party president Sonia Gandhi.

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“The youth of our country like schemes like Agniveer, and that is why lakhs of people are coming for interviews to become Agniveer… The people of the country are not going to give a chance to Rahul Gandhi. Rahul cannot do anything to survive. He has become a burden on his mother,” Sarma said.

He further accused the Wayanad MP of being a traitor for making remarks against the Army and demoralising them. “Rahul Gandhi is a ‘desh-drohi’ for making remarks against the Army, which will ultimately ‘demoralise’ them,” he said.

Sarma further claimed that the Congress formed the government in Himachal Pradesh by telling “lies.”He (Rahul Gandhi) formed the government in Himachal by telling lies. He did nothing. He is ‘Sardar’ at telling lies,” he added.

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His attacks have come in wake of Rahul Gandhi’s statements promising that the INDIA bloc, if voted to power, would scrap the Agnipath scheme of recruitment in defence services and deposit ₹8,500 in women’s accounts every month.

Addressing election rallies in Bakhtiyarpur (Patna Lok Sabha seat), Paliganj (Patliputra Lok Sabha seat) and Jagdishpur (Arrah) in Bihar on Monday, he asserted that Narendra Modi will not be able to become the prime minister again since there is a clear “storm” in favour of the INDIA bloc across the country.

“There is a clear storm (toofan) in favour of the INDIA bloc across the country, including in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Narendra Modi will not be the prime minister of India after June 4,” Gandhi asserted. “When the INDIA bloc forms the government, Agnipath scheme will be withdrawn,” Gandhi added.

The Congress leader also claimed that if the INDIA bloc forms the government, it would open all industries that are shut and fill up 30 lakh job vacancies.

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The Agniveer scheme, announced by union government in 2022, envisages recruiting young soldiers, called ‘Agniveers’ after appointment, on a contractual basis of four years and retiring 75% of them without certain benefits enjoyed by those who were not employed under this programme.

(With inputs from agencies)