Jaipur, Nov. 4 -- Congress MP Pawan Khera on Wednesday criticised the Centre's decision to extend the engagement period of Agniveers by two years, alleging that the move reflected a "U-turn" by the government ahead of Assembly elections in several states and questioning what would happen to the recruits after the extended tenure.

Reacting to the announcement by Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, Khera said that the Congress had opposed the Agnipath scheme from the beginning, arguing that it would adversely affect the armed forces as well as the future of young recruits.

"We had opposed the Agniveer scheme right from the beginning. Rahul Gandhi ji opposed it too. This scheme is harming not just our armed forces but also th...