‘Narenrda Modi should stop lying about OROP’: Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP govt over Ram Kishan Grewal’s suicide

"India's PM stands up and says that OROP has been implemented. If that is true, then why are ex-servicemen protesting?", Rahul Gandhi said on Friday.

New Delhi, November 4: Indian National Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘lying’ about the One Rank One Pension (OROP), saying that Indian Army ex-servicemen are being cheated. Alleging that the BJP government was not ‘honouring farmers and soldiers’ and it only ‘cares about the industrialists’, Gandhi demanded that OROP be implemented without further delay. Gandhi addressed the media, a day after he was detained by the Delhi Police on Thursday, after he reached the site of cremation of late ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, who allegedly committed suicide after being upset over the government’s failure to implement the OROP.

“There is no respect for kisaan or senaa“, Rahul Gandhi told the media on Friday, adding, “What is happening? India’s PM stands up and says that OROP has been implemented. If that is true, then why are ex-servicemen protesting?” Speaking about government’s claims of hiked pensions, Gandhi said, “60-80 experienced people (ex-servicemen) were there; they said that what Modiji is calling OROP is only pension enhancement.” Expressing anger over the alleged mistreatment of the family members of Grewal by the Delhi Police on Wednesday, Gandhi said, “The family members of the late ex-serviceman were beaten and dragged, right in front of my eyes! This is not right. The government must apologise.”

Evoking the slogan of “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan”, Gandhi said that the Modi government is not sympathetic towards the soldiers and the farmers at all, adding that even farmers are not getting the compensation that they are entitled to. “I want to tell the government that OROP is the right of the ex-servicemen and it should be given to them”, Gandhi said. High drama unfolded in the national capital on Wednesday and Thursday after Rahul Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia and other Congress leaders and law makers were detained by the police, while trying to meet the kin of the deceased ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal. ALSO READ: Vultures at a funeral: Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal attend last rites of OROP suicidee Ram Kishen Grewal

Gandhi and others had been detained at Tilak Marg Police station, while later Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia were both also detained and taken to RK Puram Police station. The duo were held there for some time, before being released late on Wednesday night.