The Indian Army issued a clarification late Wednesday night regarding the compensation for the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who lost his life in the line of duty. This response came swiftly after Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of misleading Parliament about the financial assistance provided to Kumar’s family.
In a video message, Rahul Gandhi stated, “Protection of truth is the basis of every religion. But Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lied in Parliament about the assistance given to the family of martyred Agniveer. Agniveer Ajay Singh’s father himself has told the truth about their lies. The Defence Minister should apologize to the Parliament, the country, the Army, and the family of Agniveer Ajay Singh ji,” he said.
Responding to these allegations, the Army clarified through a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar had been paid ₹98.39 lakh. They further detailed that an ex-gratia and other benefits amounting to approximately ₹67 lakhs, as stipulated by the provisions of the Agniveer Scheme, will soon be finalized following the necessary police verification. The total compensation will approximately amount to ₹1.65 crore.
Rajnath Singh’s office reposted the Army’s statement, affirming, “Indian Army is committed to the welfare of Agniveers.”
Sources indicated that ₹98 lakh was disbursed to the family at the end of June. The clarification and subsequent statements aim to reassure the public and the bereaved family of the government’s commitment to the welfare of its service members and their families.
