Chandigarh, Jun 17 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday demanded an immediate rollback of the Centre's Agnipath scheme, calling it an insult to the Army and a loss for the state's youth.

"After stopping recruitment to the Army for two years, the Centre's new diktat is that stay in the Army for four years and then don't get pension," said Mann in a Hindi tweet as protests razed across states for the third day against the scheme.

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"This is an insult to the Army. It is a cheating with the youth of the country," he said demanding an immediate rollback of the decision.

According to an official statement, the chief minister alleged that the Centre is running the country "recklessly" without bothering about the youth.

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After farmers, the move is a serious attack on the youth, he said apparently referring to the stir against the Centre's now-withdrawn farm laws.

"It is a huge loss for the Punjabi youth who are ever ready to serve their motherland by joining the Army," he said.

"This mindless decision has put the country on boil as the youth have come on roads to protest against this irresponsible move of the centre," Mann added.

Interacting with reporters during a roadshow ahead of the Sangrur Assembly polls, Mann said, "Forces cannot be kept on rent. How can you say that go for training when you are of 17 years of age and come back and retire at 21 and become ex-soldiers at age 21."

Mann said "politicians never retire" and if it's a good scheme, then let "sons of BJP leaders join the Army and come back after four years".

He said the country's armed forces work under very challenging conditions in places like Jaisalmer and Ganganagar where temperatures soar to 50-55 degrees Celsius while we sleep peacefully with our families in air-conditioned rooms.

"So, will you keep them on rent telling them come join for four years and you will be made ex-soldier in four years," he asked.

The Centre on Tuesday unveiled the ambitious scheme for recruitment of the youth aged between 17 and a half and 21 in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

The youth recruited under the scheme will be known as "Agniveers". After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each specific batch will be offered regular service.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)