New Delhi: High-pitched drama surrounded the protest over the delay in implementing the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme yesterday, with police trying to evict ex-servicemen from Jantar Mantar ahead of Independence Day, only to drop this on home ministry orders.
In a crackdown apparently linked to Independence Day celebrations, police swooped on the retired soldiers at the Jantar Mantar protest site, leading to scuffles.
The Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also arrived at the spot, only to be turned away after being told that the protest was not to be politicised. Voicing support for the veterans, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept the OROP demand on Independence Day.
The ex-servicemen got a rude shock when police tried to forcefully evict them. As NDMC started clearing the protest spot.
“They call us to handle any emergency, and today police is manhandling us... We will not move from here,” said Vishambhar, an 82-year-old veteran. “I was pushed by the cops who even tore my shirt,” he added.
Col. Anil Kaul (retd), said “We have the permission to hold the protest and have been protesting peacefully,” he said.
DCP New Delhi Vijay Singh said, “Delhi Police has allowed the ex-servicemen to continue their protest for One Rank One Pension at Jantar Mantar”.
Kaul meanwhile said that they received a verbal communication from home ministry and Delhi Police saying the protesters will not be asked to leave.
“I urge the PM to announce (the) acceptance of the demand of OROP of our ex-servicemen from Red Fort tomorrow,” Kejriwal tweeted.
“Ex-servicemen forcibly thrown out of Jantar Mantar? Bizarre. They protected us till yesterday. Now they are a security threat for Independence Day,” the Aam Aadmi Party leader tweeted.
Soon after the incident, the word spread that Gandhi would visit the the protest site, but when he arrived he was asked to go back, the ex-servicemen saying they did not want to politicise the protest.
“The OROP as promised by the government must be fulfilled. The prime minsiter should give a date,” Gandhi said
“If he promises to implement OROP by a particular date, the protests will end. The PM has promised to implement OROP, he just needs to say one thing that it’ll be implemented by this particular date,” he said.
IANS
