New Delhi: An ex-serviceman allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison over the issue of One Rank One Pension scheme (OROP) here.
The 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal from Haryana’s Bhiwani district ended his life in the lawns behind the Jawahar Bhavan, which houses the Ministry of External Affairs, on Tuesday evening.
Police said he along with three of his companions had come to the city apparently to submit a memorandum to the Defence Ministry over the issue of OROP.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said he was saddened over the death of Grewal. “Saddened by the death of subedar Ram Kishen Grewal. I express my heartfelt condolences. I have asked officials to provide me with details,” Parrikar said in a tweet.
According to his friends, Grewal, who served in the Army and the Defence Security Corps for 30 years, had been upset over the issue for sometime.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal targeted PM Modi over the suicide of an ex-serviceman here, saying both farmers and soldiers were ending their lives in his regime.
Kejriwal, a bitter critic of Modi, also alleged that the PM was “lying” that the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme was being implemented by the Centre, contending that ex-serviceman, Ram Kishan Grewal, would not have committed suicide if the scheme was being executed by the Centre.
The alleged suicide came just days after a one-man judicial committee on OROP submitted its report to Parrikar.
The Centre, which has implemented the OROP, a demand which had been pending for decades, had appointed the committee under the Chairmanship of Justice L Narasimha Reddy, retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court to look into the anomalies, if any, arising out of implementation of OROP.
Meanwhile, a group of ex-servicemen,led by Major General Satbir which has been leading the protest at Jantar Mantar over One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, on Wednesday distanced itself from the suicide of veteran Ram Kishan Grewal and said the issue should not be politicised.
They also said all politicians should stay away and the government should sort out the OROP “mess”.
“The suicide did not take place at Jantar Mantar. His friends had informed the police about the suicide bid but it was too late. He was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital from where they wanted to bring the body to Jantar Mantar, which we refused,” Col Anil Kaul (Retd), media advisor to United Front of Ex-Servicemen Movement (UFESM), told PTI. He said the group did not believe in violence.
Amid high drama, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia were on Wednesday detained at the RML Hospital here after they tried to meet the family of an ex-serviceman who committed suicide over the OROP issue.
He was not allowed to enter the premises of the Centre-run hospital.His repeated attempts were stonewalled by the heavy security personnel, drawing angry reaction from the leader who lashed out at the Modi government.Vehicular movement ouitside the hospital was thrown out of gear as Rahul’s presence led to chaos. (PTI)
