OROP : Congress, AAP jump into controversy

 

NEW DELHI: The One Rank One Pension demand of veterans acquired strong political colour after the Congress slammed the government for its 'attitude', Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the agitators and defence minister Manohar Parrikar asked ex-servicemen to prove that the protest was not political.

Days after Congress leader Amarinder Singh wrote a letter to Parrikar, accusing him of adding `insult to injury' with statements on the protesting veterans, Parrikar said that burning and returning of medals by veterans was an insult to the nation.

 

Agency reports from Arkkonam, where the minister is on a visit for a Navy event, quoted him as saying that it was for protesting ex-service personnel to prove that there was no political motive behind the stir.

 

 

"If I say something, it will become an allegation. Let them prove that it is not political," a PTI report said.

The agency added that the minister was critical of those returning medals as a sign of protest. "Medals are a recognition of the nation for the sacrifice done by the armed forces," he said in reply to another query. "Burning and returning them is an insult to the nation and the defence forces," Parrikar said.

 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met ex- servicemen protesting the notification on 'One Rank, One Pension' (OROP) and said the Centre "cheated" the armed force veterans by announcing a "diluted" scheme.

 

 

"The union government has cheated the army veterans by implementing a diluted OROP scheme," Kejriwal said. Supporting the ongoing protest of ex-servicemen, the chief minister demanded reconsideration of the changes made by the government in the implementation of the scheme.

 

Kejriwal said the scheme should be implemented in its original form as demanded by the veteran servicemen. "It is unfortunate that the ex-servicemen are out on the streets for their rights. The central government should implement the OROP in its true spirit," he said.

 

 

Meanwhile, the ex-servicemen protesting at the Jantar Mantar in central Delhi said they would continue with their agitation as they were fighting for their rights. They said the armed forces veterans would not accept a "diluted" OROP scheme.

Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd), spearheading the Indian ex-servicemen's movement on the issue, said: "We are happy that (the) Delhi CM is here to support us in our fight. We reject government's notification on OROP. We will not accept this diluted OROP scheme."

The veterans have decided to intensify their agitation that continued for the 152th day on Friday.



By ET Bureau

[Economic Times] 13 Nov, 2015, 04.00AM IST