Increasing the pressure over the government to deliver on its promises, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘lying’ on the One-Rank-One-Pension (OROP) issue. Rahul said that the retired defence personnel were now getting ‘enhanced pension’ and not OROP.
The Congress vice president asserted that OROP was the right of military personnel and the government ‘will have to give it’.
“What PM says is One Rank-One Pension is actually pension enhancement and not OROP. PM should stop lying on the issue,” the Congress leader said.
“OROP is the right of armed forces personnel and government will have to give it,” Rahul Gandhi, who was detained thrice over two days during protests over the suicide by army veteran Ram Kishan Grewal, reported Times of India.
Accusing the government of waiving loans worth Rs 1.10 lakh crore of 15 big industrialists, Gandhi said it has nothing to give to soldiers and farmers. “The government has not given respect and the right which is due to soldiers. If it had, why these ex-servicemen been protesting for the last 509 days at Jantar Mantar,” he said, after meeting around 60-70 military veterans at the AICC headquarters.
The Congress scion also said that the soldiers told him that it’s not an issue of money but honour and justice. They said that if the government announces it has no money, they would stop demanding OROP, Rahul added.
