Chicago – July 05, 2024
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has questioned claims regarding compensation given to the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who died on January 18 in a landmine blast near the Line of Control in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhi shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing Ajay Kumar’s father saying they received ₹50 lakh from a private bank insurance and ₹48 lakh from the Army Group Insurance Fund.
The Indian Army denied social media claims that the family received no compensation. They stated the family has been paid ₹98.39 lakh so far, with the total expected to be around ₹1.65 crore. The Army’s statement came after Rahul Gandhi’s video post.
In the video, Ajay Kumar’s father mentioned not receiving money from the central government and requested facilities, a pension, and a canteen card for the family. He cited Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s claim that families of martyrs receive ₹1 crore, which they haven’t received.
The Congress party urged the government to release a “white paper” on the Agnipath scheme, which involves short-term military recruitment.
