By Shankar Raj*
Modi defends ‘Agnipath’
Bengaluru: Facing fire from the ‘Agnipath‘ agitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today indirectly defended the scheme saying some decisions “may look unfair” at first, but will help in nation-building later.
Launching the Rs 28000 crore suburban rail and road project here, he said: “Several decisions look unfair at present. In time, those decisions will help in building the nation.”
He, however, did not mention ‘Agnipath’, but his reaction was obvious.
The Prime Minister’s answer comes just ahead of the notification issued by the Army for induction of soldiers under the ‘Agnipath’ military recruitment scheme and a few industries stating that they were willing to absorb Agniveers after their 4-year stint in the armed forces.
With an eye on the Assembly elections in the state that is less than a year away, the Prime Minister said that “Bengaluru is a reflection of the spirit of Ek Bharat – Shreshtha Bharat. The development of Bengaluru is the development of millions of dreams. Therefore, in the last 8 years, it has been a continuous effort of the Central government to develop Bengaluru further.”
Following the strategy in Uttar Pradesh, Modi’s agenda is to give a big push to infrastructure development in Karnataka while the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to consolidate the Hindu vote bank. In this connection, he dedicated India’s first air-conditioned railway station to the nation, green-signalled the 100 per cent electrification of the Konkan railway line and launched 150 technology hubs. He laid the foundation stone of national highway projects worth more than Rs 7,000 crore, and mentioned that work was going on railways projects worth rupees 34000 crore in the state. . Earlier in the day, he inaugurated the Centre for Brain Research at the Indian Institute of Science here.
Later, he left for Mysuru where he laid the foundation stone of the coaching terminal for suburban traffic at Naganahalli Railway Station that will be developed at a cost of over Rs 480 crore at a public function at Maharaja’s College Ground. During the programme, the Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the ‘Centre of Excellence for persons with communication disorders’ at the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH). It is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities for the diagnosis, assessment and rehabilitation of persons with communication disorders.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said Karnataka is a state where both the economic and spiritual prosperity of the country are seen together. “Karnataka is a perfect example of how we can realize the resolutions of the 21st century by enriching our ancient culture”, he said.
Modi will lead a gathering of yoga enthusiasts on World Yoga Day in Mysuru tomorrow.
*Shankar Raj is former Editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
