Centre went back on OROP promise: Ram Jethmalani

Veteran lawyer and Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani on Monday attacked the central government for allegedly going back on its promise on 'One Rank, One Pension' issue, and said he would legally fight the ex-servicemen's case if the need arose.

Jethmalani, however, added that he hoped the issue would be settled amicably and ex-servicemen would not need to take legal recourse.

"I am ashamed of the breach of promise... the prime minister went on record that there is another interpretation of OROP which was recommended to him by a cabinet minister," said Jethmalani.

"The prime minister has no right to stay in his post if he says I made this promise but do not understand what it meant," he said at a press conference with veterans who are protesting for OROP at the Jantar Mantar here.

He said that the government must not say it does not have money to give OROP to ex-servicemen.

"If the prime minister does not attend a few meetings abroad, money can be saved," he said.

Jethmalani also accused the government of going back on its promise on black money.

He said despite his expulsion from the Bharatiya Janata Party in May 2013, he supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The senior Supreme Court lawyer said he went to Bihar when the Grand Alliance invited him so that he could "seek forgiveness" for supporting Modi.

The Services veterans, protesting at Jantar Mantar for the last 176 days, plan to hold a 'Sainik Akrosh' rally here on December 13.

"We hope all anomalies that exist in the government notification will be resolved speedily and mutually. The main aim is to see that the OROP is as per the parliament-approved definition of February and July 2014," a statement from the ex-servicemen said.