Trinamool mouthpiece links Agnipath, Shinzo Abe killing

Kolkata, July 9 (IANS) The assassination of former Japanese premier, Shinzo Abe has created political ripples here in West Bengal as the state's ruling party, Trinamool Congress has identified a remote link between that unfortunate death and union government's Agnipath Scheme, entry to short services in the Indian defence forces.

The latest edition of the party mouthpiece in Bengal, Jago Bangla, published on Saturday, has the lead article titled Shinzor Khune Agnipather Chhaya (Shadow of Agnipath in Shinzo's murder).

According to the article, Shinzo's assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami, was a former associate of Japan's maritime self-defence, where he worked for three years without being entitled for any pension. "He lost his job after three years and since then he was unable to get himself employed anywhere. It is learnt that a feeling of insecurity and frustration due to joblessness gave birth to grievances in his mind. Incidentally, the union government is planning similar recruitment in defence services under the Agnipath scheme. The grievances of the common people about Agnipath scheme have a shadow in Shinzo's death," the article read.

Trinamool Congress's state general secretary and the party spokesman, Kunal Ghosh said that it is clear that the assassin of Shinzo Abe, who was a contractual security person, was suffering from depression, being deprived of pension-like retirement benefits.

"Similarly, the Agniveers, who would be chucked out of job with any post-retirement benefits after four years of service, can suffer from similar depression. This Agnipath scheme will drive youths with military-training in the wrong direction," Ghosh said.

Giving his counter-reaction, BJP's state spokesman in West Bengal, Shamik Bhattacharya said that by resorting to such baseless conclusions, Trinamool Congress leaders are actually insulting the defence personnel of the country. "Have we ever heard any retired army-man in India resorting to killing of any common man? These are all baseless allegations," he said.

Meanwhile, in her condolence message, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has recollected Shinzo Abe's connections with West Bengal. "I am deeply shocked by the tragic demise of the former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe. His dastardly assassination brings us immense pain. He not only cemented the relation between India & Japan but also had a special connection with Bengal. May the noble soul rest in peace," her message read.

To recall, Shinzo Abe was in Kolkata in 2007, when he visited the ancestral residence of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Elgin Road in South Kolkata, which currently houses the Netaji Research Bureau.