Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in the Lok Sabha on Monday and said the NEET is not a professional examination but a commercial exam. He charged the Modi government treats Agniveers as “use-and-throw labour”.
Addressing in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks for the president’s address, Rahul Gandhi said, “Agnipath scheme is brainchild of PM Modi not of armed forces. When our government is formed, we will scrap the Agnipath scheme because we think it is against armed forces, patriots.”
Gandhi charged an Agniveer lost his life in a landmine blast but he is not called a 'martyr'. “Agniveer' is ‘use-and-throw labour’,” the opposition leader said. Gandhi charged Agniveers do not receive any compensation.
However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opposed Gandhi’s comments and said the Opposition leader was misleading the House. "He should not try to mislead the House by making wrong statements. Financial assistance of Rs 1 crore is given to the family of the Agniveer who sacrifices his life while protecting our borders or during war,” Singh said.
On NEET examinations, Gandhi charged it had been designed to benefit “rich students”. “Truth is NEET students do not believe in the exam, they think it's designed for rich students and not the meritorious,” he said.
Gandhi added, “NEET students spend years preparing for their exam. Their family supports them financially, and emotionally. I have met several NEET students. Every single one of them tells me that the exam is designed to create a quota for rich people and to create a passage for them into the system and is designed not to help poor students.”
During the address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened when Gandhi said those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in violence and hate round the clock. “All religions and all our great men talk about non-violence and fearlessness, but those who call themselves Hindus only talk about violence, hatred and falsehood,” he said. However, Modi said calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious matter.
Home Minister Amit Shah sought the Opposition leader’s apologies for his comments against Hindus.
