Rahul Gandhi belittling his stature with "blunt" statement for PM: NCP

Taking a strong exception to Rahul Gandhi's accusations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over delay in implementation of the One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday said the Congress vice-president must substantiate his remark or else this will backfire on his future political prospects.

"Rahul Gandhi in several occasions has been found rash in making statements. Sometimes he has made statements which he could not substantiate and thereby he had to eat his words. Now here making such a blunt statement that the Prime Minister is lying.now the duty is cast upon him that he will have to substantiate what does he mean thereby," NCP leader Majeed Memon told ANI.

Memon said if Gandhi doesn't substantiate for his remarks on the Prime Minister then he would only belittle his own stature which would affect his political prospects.

"He should not be rash because after all he is an important person, the vice-president of a major national political party and a person who is pitted against Narendra Modi by Congress. So, he should be careful in use of words," he added.

Gandhi alleged that the Centre was disrespecting soldiers by not fulfilling their long pending demand.

Gandhi, who met the ex-servicemen protesting at the Jantar Mantar yesterday against the government's lackadaisical approach on the OROP scheme, said the issue at this point of time is not just about the implementation of the scheme but giving justice to the soldiers.

"The Prime Minister has been boasting about implementing OROP, if it is true then why are the ex-servicemen agitating at the Jantar Mantar? Why are they protesting here for the last 509 days?" asked Gandhi, adding, "But the truth is that the government has not implemented the OROP."

Gandhi also pointed out that the ex-servicemen "have also been demanding for implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission and disability pension."

The Congress vice-president further said that the demand for OROP is not just about money but about the soldiers pride and justice.