PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD-U and the Opposition, RJD, closed ranks on the issue of caste columns in Agnipath forms, though Defence Minister Rajnath Singh clarified that it was just a rumour as the earlier system existed since the pre-Independence era was still in vogue.
JD(U) parliamentary board president Upendra Kushwaha came up with a couple of social media posts addressed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in which he raised fears of misuse of such information, in a move that is likely to rankle ally BJP, which is still sore over the stance adopted by the JD(U) since the Agnipath' scheme was rolled out.
Moreover, Kushwaha's views were echoed by Tejashwi Yadav, RJD president's son and party heir apparent, who came out with tweets flaying the Sangh-backed BJP government at the Centre.
Jaati na poochho sadhu ki lekin jaati poochho fauji ki' (a holy man must not be asked about his caste, but it is okay to do so with respect to an Army man), said Yadav in his sarcastic tweet, wherein he also lambasted the BJP for running away from a caste census, referring to the Centre's refusal to conduct the same, which has led the government in Bihar to carry out a headcount on its own resources.
The former Bihar deputy CM also alleged Agniveers are being asked to disclose their caste so that the RSS, which is the most casteist organisation in the country, could get the candidates screened on the basis of their castes.
The nuisance value of the allegation was not lost on the BJP, the political offshoot of the RSS, which has been trying hard to do away with the label of being pro-upper caste to gain more than a foot in the door of Bihar politics.
In the armed forces, it is the norm to collect all personal details of candidates.
It is nothing new and there is no need for creating any controversy, state BJP spokesman Arvind Kumar Singh said in a statement.
Nonetheless, Yadav's contention what is the need for seeking caste details when there are no quotas under Agnipath scheme found a resonance with Kushwaha as well as former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha with its four MLAs has come to be seen as the JD(U)'s veritable B team.
Agniveers are destined to get a lollipop by way of temporary employment in the armed forces.
Why are they being asked to disclose their caste when there is no caste-based reservation under the new scheme of recruitment, asked Manjhi, who has of late been nettling BJP with his plain-speak on issues ranging from social behaviour of Brahmins to historicity, or lack thereof, of Lord Rama.
Kushwaha, who was approached by journalists with queries, said anything that has no good use can be misused and the same applies to seeking caste and religion details from Agniveers.
"I would wait till the defence minister comes up with his clarification."
The JD(U) leader, who has come to be seen as ally BJP's principal detractor in his party, also warned if no explanations are forthcoming, then those levelling allegations will do so with a vengeance.
On the other hand, leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and RJD leader, Tejashwi Yadav, said that the BJP and RSS were instrumental in having caste and religion columns in forms. Tejashwi tweeted, “Don’t ask the caste of a monk but ask the caste of a soldier. The BJP government distances itself from the caste census but asks castes of Agniveers who are ready to make supreme sacrifices for the country.”
The RJD leader also shared a screenshot of a notification which made it mandatory for candidates
to disclose their caste and religious identities. The Centre had recently launched the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment of personnel in the three wings of the armed forces.
The process of filling up forms for Agniveer aspirants is already underway. The scheme has received a huge response from the youth.
The ruling BJP accused the critics of "belittling and insulting" the army and alleged that they were trying to instigate youngsters for street protests.
"I want to make it clear that this is a rumour. The (recruitment) system which was in place before Independence is being continued and there is no change to this," Singh told reporters in Parliament complex.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asserted that the army's recruitment process dates back to pre-Independence.
This was formalised by a "Special Army Order" after 1947, and the practice remains the same, he said.
The army had submitted an affidavit in response to a PIL in the Supreme Court in 2013 when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, that caste or religion has no role in its recruitment, and applicants are asked about this for administrative reasons, Patra told reporters.
Earlier, the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader alleged that the "extremely casteist government of the Sangh (RSS) at the Centre'' will now look at Agnipath recruits' caste and religion while discharging 75 per cent of them.
The short-term recruitment scheme envisages that 75 per cent of the recruits will be discharged after four years and the remaining 25 per cent will be absorbed for the long term.
"When there is no reservation in the army, then what is the need for a caste certificate," the former Bihar deputy chief minister asked, tagging the purported army document which sought caste and religious certificates among other documents from applicants.
"The BJP government of the RSS runs away from caste census but asks agniveers who will lay down their lives for the country about their caste," he said.
AAP's Sanjay Singh in a tweet said for the first time in India's history, candidates have been asked to mention their caste in the army recruitment and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not consider Dalits, backwards and tribals eligible for serving in the armed forces.
"The cheap face of the Modi government has come out in front of the country. Modi ji, you have to make 'Agniveer' or 'Jaativeer'," he alleged in a tweet in Hindi.
Kushwaha, whose party is a BJP ally, also raised the issue and questioned the need for a caste certificate in army recruitment when there is no provision for reservation in it.
Echoing this, Gandhi wondered if somebody's patriotism will now be decided by looking at his caste.
"The government should consider the impact on our national security by changing the established norms of the army," he said.
In a sharp counter-attack, Patra accused the opposition members, including those from Congress, of "belittling and insulting" the army while doing their politics.
If a soldier makes the supreme sacrifice while on duty, information about his religion helps the army in preparing for his last rites, he said.
Patra said opposition members create controversies around the army from time to time and added that AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had previously also raised questions on surgical and air strikes aimed at Pakistan-based terrorists.
"The Indian Army never recruits on the basis of caste or religion of applicants. It is above this. Are these people not aware of this," he asked.
Singh made a request to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for allowing him to raise the issue of policy changes for the Agnipath scheme.
His submission made no direct mention of the issue of caste or religion.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha had submitted an adjournment notice to discuss what he termed the "disastrous implications" of the Agnipath scheme as well as "the denial of opportunities" in railways to thousands of job aspirants.
A short-term recruitment scheme in the armed forces, Agnipath was launched by the government last month.
(With PTI Inputs)