The Capital witnessed unprecedented scenes on Wednesday after Opposition parties took to the streets over the suicide of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal.

Grewal apparently left a note saying that he was unhappy with the delay in the implementation of the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia were detained by Delhi Police, along with Grewal’s relatives while protesting the alleged delay in implementing OROP. The Delhi Police, which is controlled by the Union Home Ministry, said the detentions were to ensure law and order.

“Do you not feel ashamed? He is the son of an Army veteran...and you are arresting them?” Rahul Gandhi thundered at an police inspector. Kejriwal said he was formally detained and was taken to an undisclosed location by the police.

Former Defence Minister and veteran Congress leader AK Antony said the Narendra Modi government had diluted the OROP order issued by the UPA government after the 2014 Budget. “We had included disability pensions too in the OROP order. Now there is one rank and five pensions. There are a number of anomalies after the (seventh) Pay Commission report too. The Centre has to find a solution,” he said. “Every day, soldiers are dying at the borders and the Prime Minister is indulging in mere rhetoric,” he said.

The Congress demanded an apology from the Prime Minister for “misleading” the country by saying that the OROP order has already been implemented. “Do not delay the OROP further. It has been three years now. The PM must apologise to the nation for making misleading statements on OROP,” Antony said.

To the BJP’s charge that the Congress was trying to politicise the issue, Antony said it was the BJP that tried to make political benefits out of the OROP issue. “We resolved the matter and issued orders. The Modi government is not implementing the orders. Ex-servicemen are protesting. Rahul Gandhi’s heart is with them,” Antony added.

The issue is all set to snowball into a political controversy as both the AAP and the Congress have found an issue to corner the Centre in Grewal’s suicide. Union Minister and former Army General VK Singh’s comments linking the mental state of Grewal to his suicide is also being used against the BJP. “He has committed suicide. No one knows the reason behind it. OROP is being shown as the reason. What his mental state was we do not know. Let it be probed first. OROP should be kept above politics,” Singh had said.

The Congress said such comments showed the mentality of BJP towards the ex-servicemen. “Such arrogant and audacious comments are the hallmark of this government,” Congress leader Randip Singh Surjewala said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW