Chidambaram slams ECI for directing Congress not to 'politicise' the Agniveer scheme

CHENNAI: Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram faulted the Election Commission of India (ECI) for directing Congress not to 'Politicise' the Agniveer scheme implemented by the BJP regime.

Taking to social media to come down heavily on the ECI for the direction, Chidambaram said, "ECI is wrong in directing the Congress party not to 'politicise' the Agniveer scheme. What does 'politicise' mean? Does the ECI mean 'criticise'?"

Arguing that Agniveer was a scheme, a product of the policy of the government and it was the right of an Opposition political party to criticise a policy of the government and declare that, if voted to power, the scheme would be scrapped, Chidambaram, said, "Agniveer creates two categories of soldiers who fight together, and that is wrong. Agniveer employs a young man for four years and throws him out without a job and without a pension, and that is wrong. Agniveer was opposed by the Army, yet the government thrust the scheme upon the Army, and that is wrong. Hence, the Agniveer scheme must be scrapped. ECI was egregiously wrong in giving direction to the Congress party and, as a citizen, it is my right to say that ECI was egregiously wrong, " Chidambaram added.