Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was detained at a police station after he attempted to enter Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to meet the family of a retired Army man who allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday, upset at his demands on the one-rank-one-pension scheme not being met.
“Rahul Gandhi has been detained at Mandir Marg Police Station for ‘disruption of duty’ after he wasn’t allowed to enter RML hospital to meet ex-serviceman Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal’s family”, Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief Mukesh Kumar Meena said.
“No politician is allowed in the hospital and they were causing disturbances. Democracy doesn’t mean creating obstruction. Leaders must also understand that hospital is not the place to hold any demonstrations,” Meena said.
“Family members of Grewal were detained as well as they were contacting political leaders and holding demonstration here,” Meena added.
The police accused the politicians of obstructing hospital work. “Delhi Police will not allow any obstruction at a hospital. They were making speeches. Leaders should understand they can’t do politics here,” a police officer said.
“Manish Sisodia detained? He had gone to meet family of deceased Ram Kishan ji. He is elected Dy CM. Whats wrong wid u Modiji? So insecure?” tweeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is expected to arrive at the hospital soon.
Kejriwal also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video, accusing it of “lying” about the implementation of one-rank one-pension or OROP.
Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal allegedly poisoned himself on the lawns of a government building in the heart of Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. In a suicide note he said he had still not received the increased pension promised to him by the government under the OROP scheme it implemented last year.
His family wants the government to fulfil the demands that Grewal had made in a petition that he planned to hand over to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar later on Tuesday.
