In a suicide note, Grewal said he was taking his life for soldiers.
A 65-year-old ex-serviceman from Haryana has allegedly committed suicide over One Rank One Pension issue.
Subedar Ram Kishen Grewal consumed poison at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Tuesday afternoon, where he had been protesting against the government allegedly going back on its word to implement the OROP scheme. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but had died.
In a suicide note, Grewal said he was taking his life for soldiers. ANI quoted Grewal’s son saying he had called his family and informed them of his decision to commit suicide because “the government had failed to fulfil their demands†related to the OROP scheme.
Police told PTI that Grewal, along with some other ex-servicemen, was in the process of submitting a memorandum to the Defence Ministry over the OROP issue.
The retired subedar from Haryana’s Bhiwani had served in the Indian Army for over 30 years. His petition to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar says that he had still not received the increased pension promised to him by the government under the OROP scheme implemented last year.
The suicide comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement saying that the government already paid Rs 5,500 crore for implementing OROP. The Prime Minister, who celebrated Diwali with soldiers at the border in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district, also added that he had fulfilled the government’s promise.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked the whole nation to stand up for the soldiers and their rights.
“Soldiers fight at the border against external enemies and fight within for their rights,†Kejriwal tweeted.
Indian government had announced the implementation of One Rank One Pension, a longstanding demand of ex-serviceman, on September 2015. The scheme grants retired armed force personnel pension parity with officers and jawans of the same rank who are retiring now.
Social Media Updates:
Delhi: Ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Garehwal (who was protesting at Jantar Mantar) allegedly commits suicide over OROP issue pic.twitter.com/xP4VlRldxE
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2016
He called us & informed he is committing suicide as the Govt has failed to fulfil their demands related to OROP: Son of Ram Kishan Garehwal pic.twitter.com/37WwsnBOao
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2016
V sad. Soldiers fighting on border against external enemy n fighting within for their rights. Whole nation shud stand up for their rights https://t.co/deRYUV9J0y
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 2, 2016