Kejriwal regrets ex-soldier's suicide, wants OROP implemented

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday urged the government to immediately implement the OROP after a retired soldier committed suicide allegedly over the issue.

Describing as "very unfortunate" the suicide by Ram Kishan Grewal at a park here, Kejriwal quoted the 70-year-old as saying in his suicide note that he was taking his life in support of OROP's implementation.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader said in a video message that it was regrettable that despite dragging protests by ex-servicemen, the One Rank One Pension (OROP) had not been implemented.

And if this was true, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "lied" to the nation by claiming that OROP had been implemented, he said.

Grewal's son was quoted as telling journalists that his father called the family to say he was committing suicide as the government had failed to implement the OROP.

Grewal had been taking part in ongoing protests by ex-servicemen here in support of OROP.

The AAP leader also took on the government for reducing disability pension for soldiers and lowering the ranks of military personnel vis-a-vis civil servants.

Kejriwal urged the BJP and the government to stop doing politics over the army's surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads in Pakistani territory.

--IANS

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