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Agniveer Scheme: The mother of Agniveer Murali Naik, who was martyred in Pakistani shelling during ‘Operation Sindoor’, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court challenging discrimination in pension and benefits under the Agnipath Scheme. The petition said, ‘The scheme has created an arbitrary and unfair classification between Agniveers and regular soldiers without any clear distinction.’
Mumbai. The mother of Agniveer Murali Naik, who was martyred in cross-border shelling in Jammu and Kashmir during ‘Operation Sindoor’, has moved the Bombay High Court challenging the denial of benefits to the family of a regular soldier. The petition filed by Naik’s mother Jyotibai Naik claimed that the Agneepath scheme creates an ‘arbitrary’ distinction between Agniveers and regular soldiers. In this, he has raised a question by terming the denial of full death benefit as ‘discriminatory’.
Murali Naik was martyred on May 9 in shelling and mortar attacks by the Pakistani Army during ‘Operation Sindoor’ launched by India in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The petition, filed through advocates Sandesh More, Hemant Ghadigaonkar and Hitendra Gandhi, said that Agniveers perform the same duties as regular soldiers and face the same risks, yet the families of Agniveers have been deprived of long-term pension and welfare benefits.
What has been said in the petition?
The petition said, ‘The Agneepath scheme launched by the government has clearly deprived the Agniveers of post-service pension benefits and other long-term welfare rights which regular soldiers generally get.’ According to the petition, the family of martyr Agniveer gets an ex-gratia amount of about Rs 1 crore, but they are not given any regular family pension or any other benefit.
Demand for pension for families of firefighters
The plea has sought directions to ensure equal posthumous benefits, including pension, institutional recognition and welfare measures, to the families of firefighters who lost their lives while in service. It has also been requested to direct the concerned authorities to consider the petitioner’s request that these benefits be given to his family also.
‘Discrimination’ in Agneepath scheme
According to the petition, Naik was recruited in the Indian Army in June 2023. After his martyrdom, the petitioner sent letters to several authorities requesting that his family be given the same benefits given to the families of regular soldiers. It has been claimed in the petition that they have not received any reply yet. The petition said that although it is not completely challenging the validity of the Agneepath scheme, it is ‘discriminatory’ and violates the fundamental rights of the citizens. It said, ‘The scheme has created an arbitrary and unfair classification between Agniveers and regular soldiers without any clear distinction.’ A division bench of the High Court may soon hear this petition.
