'Support to Congress not different from the one to BJP in 2014'

Following criticism over ex-servicemen's support to the Congress for coming assembly elections in five states, defence force veterans agitating on OROP issue on Friday said it was not different from support extended to the BJP in the 2014 general elections.

Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who is leading the ex-servicemen's protest on the 'One Rank One Pension' issue at the Jantar Mantar here, on Thursday announced support to the Congress, following which some ex-servicemen sought his resignation.

Objection was raised by a section of protesters that it was the Congress which allegedly denied them OROP for over 40 years.

Brigadier J.S. Sandhu (retd) said the demand for resignation was made by those who were not regular at the ongoing protest at the Jantar Mantar.

"All those who are making the demand are paper tigers, who do not come to the Jantar Mantar... what has been done is nothing different from what happened in Rewari when we extended support to the Bharatiya Janata Party," Sandhu told IANS.

Narendra Modi had addressed ex-servicemen in Rewari in Haryana in 2013, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and promised them OROP.

On Thursday, Satbir Singh had extended "full support" to the Congress in all state elections.

Present at his press conference were Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh and Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh Chief Ministers Harish Rawat and Virbhadra Singh respectively.

--IANS

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