Ram Kishan Grewal, a former Army jawan, who was protesting over the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday. He was angry over the delay in the implementation of OROP scheme. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday were detained by Delhi Police when they visited RML hospital to meet ex-servicemen’s kin.
Grewal’s son Jaswant urged the Modi Government to look into the matter.
“My father sacrificed for the nation. He was demanding the One Rank, One Pension. The Modi Government should think about this,” he said.
Grewal, who was protesting at Jantar Mantar, called his family on Monday night and informed them that he was committing suicide as the government has failed to fulfill their demands related to OROP. He is believed to have consumed some poisonous substance to commit suicide.
A native of Bhiwani in Haryana. Grewal left behind a suicide note in which he expressed extreme displeasure over being denied benefits of 6th and 7th pay commissions.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in an emotional video message, said that the Narendra Modi government had deceived the soldiers of the nation.
“It is very sad that on Tuesday evening, a former soldier of our country Ram Kishanji committed suicide over the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme,” Kejriwal said.
His Deputy Manish Sisodia was dragged away and later detained by the police when he attempted to talk to Ram Kishan’s son. Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Delhi Cantonment Commando Surender were detained by the police.
A furious Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice President said, “Naya Hindustan ban raha hai bhaiya.” He was prevented from entering New Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
‘Why I am not being allowed to meet them? What new India is this,’ Gandhi asked the police officers manning the gate of the hospital in central Delhi. Later, he was also detained by the police.
OROP scheme has been a long-standing demand of nearly three-million ex-servicemen and war widows in the country.
It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to defence personnel, who retire at the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.
