New Delhi: Intensifying their protest against the government notification on implementation of ‘one rank-one pension, military veterans returned their war and other medals at various places in Haryana and Punjab on Tuesday.
In Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, the veterans returned their medals to the Panchkula deputy commissioner to protest against the OROP notification issued by the central government.
There were reports of veterans returning their medals in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala in Punjab and Rohtak, Hisar and Ambala in Haryana.
The veterans said that they had rejected the OROP notified by the Narendra Modi government.
The defence veterans said that they will observe a 'Black Diwali' this time to protest against the Modi government going back on its assurances.
This move is also to hit back at defence minister Manohar Parrikar for his comments that not all their demands can be met.
"We reject OROP notification by government,we will continue with agitation&intensify it further," Group Capt (Retd)VK Gandhi,general secretary of Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM), told media today.
He further alleged that notification issued by the centre doesn't meet definition of one rank one pension.
" We will request all ex-servicemen to return their medals and explain to citizens that OROP has not been given to us,"he added.
IESM is miffed over insertion of certain provisions by centre that allow juniors to get more pension than their seniors.
The government had on Saturday formally notified the OROP scheme for the over 24 lakh ex-servicemen and six lakh war widows in the country, which was rejected by the protesting ex-servicemen.
Parrikar had said earlier in the day that everyone has the right to make a demand in democracy but not all demands can be fulfilled. He said “maximum” demands of the veterans have been fulfilled and that the judicial commission to be set up by the government will look into their “problems”.
In Delhi, the medals will be returned outside Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Tuesday, Gandhi said, adding selecting crowded places for the purpose was meant to educate the common man about the issue.
The protesting ex-servicemen also met Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and briefed him about the OROP notification. “He called us today and asked us to brief him about the government notification. He has said in coming days he will take up the issue, address press conference and also visit the protesting ex-servicemen at Jantar Mantar,” Gandhi said after meeting Kejriwal.
(With PTI inputs)
