AAP claims candidates' caste being asked in Agniveer recruitment; Defence Minister dismisses 'rumour'

'The cheap face of Modi government has come out in front of the country,' AAP MP alleged in a tweet in Hindi

Youngsters run during a training session organised for the preparation of Agnipath examination, at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Thursday, July 7, 2022. Credit: PTI Photo

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday alleged that the Indian Army was using caste as a factor in recruiting youth under the Agnipath scheme, prompting a swift rebuttal from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who rejected the charge as "a rumour".

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted that for the first time in the history of India, candidates have been asked to mention their caste in the Army recruitment, and hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him if he does not consider dalits, backwards and tribals eligible for serving Army.

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"The cheap face of Modi government has come out in front of the country," he alleged in a tweet in Hindi.

"Does Modi ji not consider dalits/backward/tribals eligible for army recruitment? For the first time in the history of India, caste is being asked in Army recruitment". Modi ji you have to make 'Agniveer' or 'Jaativeer'," he charged.

Dismissing the allegation, Singh told reporters in Parliament complex, "I want to make it clear this is a rumour. The (recruitment) system which was in place before Independence is being continued and there is no change to this."