The suicide of a 70 years old ex-serviceman from Haryana’s Bhiwani district over the issue of one rank one pension (OROP) scheme, has triggered a political row in the State.
Haryana Congress has announced State-wide protest on Thursday over the detaining of party’s vice president Rahul Gandhi and senior leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kiran Choudhry outside Delhi’s RMl hospital. On the other hand, the Indian National lok Dal has raised questions on the BJP Government over the OROP non-implementation.
Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal, who was leading a protest by former Haryana servicemen against OROP, reportedly had reached Delhi on Monday. He was carrying a letter that listed their demands and was to be submitted to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Grewal, who hailed from Bamla village in Bhiwani, retired from Defence Security Corps in July 2004.
Haryana ClP leader Kiran Choudhry, who was detained by the Delhi Police outside RMl hospital , where she visited to meet the family of Grewal, alleged that it is unlawful to stop the party leaders to go inside the hospital and meet the grieving family members of the ex-serviceman.
While former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda condemned the detaining of senior party leaders by Delhi Police, Haryana party chief Ashok Tanwar has announced state-wide protest on Thursday against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Police.
Talking to the mediapersons, Ashok Tanwar said, “This autocratic behaviour of the Modi Government will not be tolerated and the party will hold protest against the Prime Minister and Delhi Police.
Protests will be held in all the districts and the effigies of Modi and Delhi Police will be burnt by the Congress workers, said Tanwar.
Stating that family members of the ex-serviceman were also detailed by the Police which is immoral, Tanwar said, “How can the Police stop someone to meet the grieving familyIJ”
leader of opposition in Haryana Assembly and INlD’s senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala said that BJP does not seem to be serious on OROP issue. The ruling has already taken a u-turn over the implementation of Swaminanthan report and now, the BJP is doing the same on OROP implementation issue, said he.
Slamming the BJP led Centre, Congress MlA Karan Singh Dalal said that it is really unfortunate the way the BJP Government at the Centre and in the states are behaving. It is the BJP which is indulging in politics over security forces. Earlier, they did politics on surgical strike and now, they are doing it on OROP issue, he alleged.
Rahul Gandhi was detained twice on Wednesday by the Delhi Police after he tried to meet the family of ex-servicemen.
As the political slugfest began over the alleged suicide of ex-serviceman, Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij hit back at the Congress saying that there should be no politics over OROP. Raising questions on Congress’ intentions, Vij said that instead of shedding crocodile tears, the Congress should tell that why they failed to implement OROP during their tenure.