The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “immediately” roll back the Agnipath scheme to save the country from “burning” in the anger of youth as protests against the Centre’s new plan for recruitment into the armed forces intensified on Friday.

The senior AAP leader and Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said the protests across the country were proof that the youth of the country will never accept the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme.

“Every youth has the right to join the Army and dedicate their whole life for the country, but today the BJP is depriving them of this right. The demonstrations happening across the country are clear proof that the youth of India will never accept Agnipath. No policy or law can be greater than the passion for service to the nation,” Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.

Addressing the press briefing, the AAP Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh said that by introducing the Agnipath scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to make the Indian armed forces his “private agency.”

“The Indian armed forces are the pride of this nation and they are the key reason for the nation’s security. Each of our soldiers is incredibly brave and they are even ready to lay their lives for the nation,” said Singh.

“In a four-year period a fair amount of time will be spent in soldier training and leave periods, and in the little remaining period of time the recruits will work for the Indian armed forces.

Then when so many youngsters will be let go after the four-year period, they will have no other option besides begging for jobs in an already scarce market and many of these youngsters will only be eligible to work as poorly-paid security officers for private industries in our country,” Singh questioned.

He went ahead to say that the recruits may end up becoming ‘security guards’ for Prime Minister Modi’s friends. “This Narendra Modi-led BJP Government has sold off so many of our national resources like SAIL, national banks, coal, LIC, BPCL, airports and ports to a handful of private companies in the country,” said Singh.

“There is going to be a large demand for security guards to protect these important institutions that have selectively been given to some private companies. Is the intention of PM Narendra Modi to convert the Indian armed forces into a security guard training centre for these private companies?,” said Singh.

“This is an insult to the Indian armed forces of this country. It is an insult to the youngsters of this great nation. First, the Government says that it will create two crore jobs in the country, then it says that ‘youngsters can sell pakoras and earn their income’. Then the Government says that you can sell gobar and earn your income,” said Singh.

Singh also announced the AAP’s support for the youth by protesting throughout Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.