Defence Minister Rajnath Singh defended the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, which was criticized by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha. Singh argued that the scheme was rolled out after consultation with 158 organizations and that an Agniveer who commits suicide receives a compensation of Rs 1 crore. Gandhi claimed the government treats Agniveers as "use-and-throw labourers" and does not give them the status of a "shaheed (martyr)."
