Ex servicemen demanding OROP put up black flags at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi: Pressing for their demand of immediate implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP), ex-servicemen have put up black flags at Jantar Mantar. Three defence veterans Colonel (retired) Pushpinder Singh of 3 Grenadiers, Havalder (retired) Major Singh of 3 Sikh Light Infantry and Havaldar (retired) Ashok Chauhan have been on hunger strike since August 16.

Even as those present have urged three ex-servicemen to end their protest, the veterans are adamant on their demand.

Group captain VK Gandhi said it is the way of our protest and will put more flags. "We won't escalate our protest but will continue it. We have put up black flags outside our residence. We are urging them to give up their fast-unto-death protest as it is not the way to protest. We were hopeful of PM making the announcement on OROP on August 15 and we are hopeful that he will do it by Aug 26. If he does not then we will continue with our protest

"The police crackdown was because of government's pressure as country is not facing security threat from us. It had strained our relation with the Delhi Police but after the apology everything is fine," Group Captain VK Gandhi said.

After a meeting with the principal secretary of the PMO Nripendra Misra, veterans have given a 10 day time frame for the government to act. While they are continuing their protest, they have maintained that they will not escalate it any more.

The Narendra Modi government has reiterated its commitment towards the OROP but has refrained from giving a time frame on the its implementation claiming there are some technical difficulties involved.

Over 2.5 million strong ex-servicemen and war widows community has been demanding One Rank One Pension for almost four decades. It was being speculated that Modi will make an announcement on the scheme in his speech on Independence Day but he only reinstated his commitment and said that the demand will be fulfilled as soon as the technical nitty gritty is resolved.

The PM's speech left the ex servicemen hugely disappointed as this was a key promise in Modi's poll campaign during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The protesting ex-servicemen and war widows have decided to boycott all the government programmes including the 50th anniversary of 1965 war with Pakistan, which the government is planning to celebrate on August 28.