New Delhi: The pressure seems to be mounting on the Narendra Modi government over the One Rank One Pension issue with the Prime Minister failing to make any announcement in this regard during his second Independence Day address. The recent Delhi Police action against ex-servicemen protesting at Jantar Mantar has also not gone down well with those who are and who have been part of the armed forces.
As many as 10 former defence chiefs have shot off a letter to Prime Minister Modi over the police action on those protesting for OROP implementation, urging him to order a probe into the treatment meted out to veterans, who were allegedly manhandled by Delhi Police officials. They have also urged the Prime Minister to resolve the issue at the earliest.
"This indiscretion on the part of the Police has seriously impacted the pride and morale of all ranks of the three Services and the Veterans. It is pertinent to mention that these veterans are the same soldiers, who have displayed unflinching loyalty towards the Constitution and the Nation during their service and still remain motivated to die for a noble cause. Unfortunately their dignity and pride today stand scarred and is a cause for serious concern," said the letter.
Terming the stand of the government as arrogant, former Navy chief Admiral L Ramdas accused the government of giving "very bad treatment to the defence forces". Pointing that all ex-servicemen were expecting something from the Prime Minister during his speech from Red Fort on August 15, Admiral L Ramdas said that the BJP did not fulfil promise made during 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
This came even as two veterans began a fast unto death at Jantar Mantar, and ex-servicemen vowed to boycott all government functions henceforth.
However, these developments failed to break any ice with the government as Union Minister and former Army chief VK Singh reiterated Centre's position, saying OROP would be implemented as soon as the technical difficulties were resolved.
Amid these developments, there was no end to the politics over the issue, with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining the bandwagon against the government. He asserted that the government must deliver on its promise that was made to the soldiers.
While it was being speculated that Modi might make an announcement on OROP in his speech on Independence Day, he did not give a specific timeline for the implementation of the scheme. He stressed that talks were in final stages to work out the nitty-gritty and reiterated that the government has in-principle accepted the demand for OROP.
Reacting sharply to the PM's Independence Day speech, the protesting ex-servicemen said that the OROP had already been accepted in principle in the past. "I am sorry, it was accepted in principle 17 months ago and he has also accepted it. I want to ask the Prime Minister, what is holding the implementation of OROP," Chairman of Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement Major General Satbir Singh (Retd), questioned.
"According to us, there is nothing but bad intention of the bureaucracy and it is given to them by the political system which is holding it now," Singh said.
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