Don't scrap, review Agnipath: JDU

Amid the NDA's government formation efforts, the JDU has demanded that the new government should review the Agnipath scheme, the short four-year recruitment scheme in the Indian armed forces.

Senior JDU leader KC Tyagi said on Thursday that "there is anger among some sections of the youth over the Agnipath scheme. We are not saying to scrap it. But we certainly think that some shortcomings in the scheme should be removed," Tyagi told ET.



Tyagi added that after Bihar, it is time for the Centre to conduct a caste census. "Bihar has shown the way under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. We will pursue the demand for a caste census at the national level," he added.

BJP, in its manifesto, had said that the party will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) if it comes to power. The JDU reiterated the party's stand and said that all stakeholders should be taken into confidence.

"On UCC, the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had written to the Law Commission. We are not against the UCC. But there should be consultation with all the stakeholders, chief ministers, political parties and different sects, and a resolution should be found," he said.


JDU has been demanding special status for Bihar and Tyagi said the party would continue to demand that. "We are in the NDA and our party has given unconditional support to the government. But it is always in our mind and heart that Bihar should get special status," he added.

JDU has 12 MPs in the new Lok Sabha, a crucial number supporting the BJP in government formation, the second-largest after TDP.