Ex-servicemen on Saturday protested against the delay in issue of official notification by the government to 'one rank one pension' scheme as announced by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in September.
A 21-year-old man was arrested in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly impersonating a senior Indian Army brigadier. The operation, a joint effort by the Station Headquarters and ex-servicemen, also led to the apprehension of his associates who were posing as NSG commandos.
Ex-servicemen are unhappy with the pension hike announced by government saying it amounted to "wrong and deceitful" treatment of their long-pending 'One Rank One Pension' demand and vowed to continue struggle for their rights.
Agitating ex-servicemen on Monday continued with their relay hunger strike over the 'One Rank One Pension' issue at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi as they prepared for a mega rally this weekend to press for removal of "anomalies" in the OROP announced by the government.
The government is considering appointing a committee under a judge to go into the issue of equalisation of pension, Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who has been leading the 'One Rank One Pension' protest in Jantar Mantar for the last 80 days, said after a meeting with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Upset over delay in formal notification of the one rank, one pension scheme, the protesting ex-servicemen today announced that they will return their medals across the country next week.
Veterans protesting for early implementation of One Rank, One Pension are likely to meet Modi in the last week of August.
Ex-servicemen on Tuesday started returning their medals to protest the government notification on implementation of 'one rank-one pension', which they have rejected, and hit back at Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who termed the agitationists as misguided.
A group of ex-servicemen on Monday announced that they will boycott all official functions, including ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations of the victory in 1965 war, in protest against delay over implementation of "One Rank One Pension" by the government.
Seeking their "promised dues", ex-servicemen across the country began their relay-hunger strike on Sunday demanding that the government announce a date for the introduction of the 'One Rank One Pension' policy.
The development came after a nearly two-hour long meeting was held between representatives of ex-servicemen and Army chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag.
'Whatever Modi had promised us on OROP has not been delivered. He lied to us'
Parrikar's statement did not go down well with the protesters who said they are "disheartened".
With no announcement on One Rank One Pension coming from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his nearly 90-minute speech at the Red Fort on the 69th Independence Day, ex-servicemen who have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi say they have been betrayed by the BJP-led government.
Veterans bemoan the 'lack of intention' shown by the Modi sarkar, who seem to have reneged on their poll promise.
Jaitley had on Monday had virtually ruled out annual revision of pension as demanded by agitating ex-servicemen under OROP.
Indian defence veterans, dismayed and appalled by the mistreatment given to them by the bureaucrats of the defence and finance ministries over issues of pension, have now written to the prime minister as a last resort and have threatened to intensify their four-year-old agitation
The top court granted liberty to ex-servicemen association to file an application, if they feel aggrieved by any action of the Centre on payment of arrears of the OROP.
No headway was made on Thursday in resolving sticky issues for OROP implementation during talks between agitating ex-servicemen and government even as two more veterans on indefinite hunger strike were shifted to the army hospital following doctor's advice.
War veterans will start returning their medals from Tuesday to protest the government notification on implementation of 'one rank-one pension', which they have rejected, and hit back at Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for his comments that not all their demands can be met.
The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the ministry of defence over its January 20 communication regarding payment of arrears of One Rank-One Pension (OROP) in installments to eligible pensioners of the armed forces.
The talks between ex-servicemen and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar over the One Rank One Pension scheme failed on Saturday after which the retired defence personnel decided to go ahead with their planned rally on June 14 followed by a relay hunger strike to protest the long delay in implementation of the scheme.
The Supreme Court on Monday said the ministry of defence cannot take law in its own hands by issuing communication on payment of One Rank-One Pension (OROP) arrears in four instalments.
The Deadlock over 'One rank, One Pension' persisted on Thursday with agitating ex-servicemen accusing the government of "constantly shifting goalpost" and "wasting time" even as a fresh round of back-channel talks were held.
Over 100 ex-servicemen have signed the petition asking for early implementation of OROP without any dilution.
Underlining that 'maximum' demands of the veterans have been fulfilled, he said the judicial commission that will be set up will look into the 'problems'.
This is the second extension sought by the Union government to pay the arrears after it had first moved the top court in June and sought three months to compute and make payment.
Hundreds of army veterans held a 'Sainik Ekta' rally to press for "honest and truthful justice" as they rejected the One Rank One Pension scheme announced by the government even as some ex-servicemen groups dissociated themselves from the demonstration.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Friday said the government will soon implement 'One Rank, One Pension' scheme even as agitating ex-servicemen threatened to intensify their protest if any unilateral announcement is made which does not meet their long-standing demand.
Another veteran Havildar Saheb Singh (retired) took his place and began the fast-unto-death.
Thousands of ex-servicemen across the country on Sunday converged at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to protest over the delay in implementation of the 'One Rank, One Pension' scheme.
Protesting ex-servicemen allege they were manhandled by the Delhi police
The agitating ex-servicemen are accusing the government of "constantly shifting the goalpost" and not coming out with any "concrete proposal" to resolve the issue.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the behaviour of war veterans protesting the notification on OROP scheme is "unlike that of a soldier".
Stepping in to pacify agitating ex-servicemen over the 'One Rank One Pension' issue, Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday held talks with representatives of the protesters who have agreed not to escalate their agitation for next 10 days.
The 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal committed suicide by consuming poison at a park in New Delhi area on Tuesday evening.
The Congress vice president asserted that OROP was the right of military personnel and the government "will have to give it".
The demand for OROP has been projected as an unambiguous issue but a good policy argument must have a sound economic element.
The long-pending One Rank One Pension Scheme for ex-servicemen was tonight brought into force with government issuing a notification which will benefit over 25 lakh veterans and war widows.
Stepping up the agitation on 'One Rank One Pension', a fast-unto-death was launched by two of the protesting ex-servicemen at Jantar Mantar
