BJP trying to create its armed cadres through Agniveer, says Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the BJP-led central government over the Agnipath scheme, alleging that the saffron camp was trying to create its own "armed” cadre base through the new defence recruitment programme.

Terming the scheme as an insult to the armed forces, Banerjee also wondered whether the Bharatiya Janata Party plans to hire Agniveer soldiers as "watchmen" at its party offices, after their four-year service period.

"The BJP is trying to create its own armed cadre base through this scheme. What will they do after four years? The party wants to give arms into the hands of the youth," the Trinamool Congress boss said in the assembly.

Banerjee also said the BJP is trying to fool the masses ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by announcing such schemes.

"They had promised two crore jobs every year. But, now they are only fooling the people of the country in the name of these schemes,” she added.

The BJP legislative party staged a walkout from the assembly protesting against Banerjee's remarks.