OROP: Rahul visits Jantar Mantar, protesters raise ‘go back Rahul’ slogans

Janjivan Bureau
NEW DELHI: Ex servicemen protest against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and raise slogan Rahul go back. Rahul said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must announce a date for implementing the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ scheme.
Rahul Gandhi visited Jantar Mantar where ex-servicemen are staging a protest demanding implementation of OROP.
“People from armed forces and jawans spend their lives on the border, they are protesting now and they shouldn’t be removed,” Rahul Gandhi said in an attempted show of solidarity with the army veterans at the venue.
Earlier, ex-servicemen resisted eviction by the Delhi Police and NDMC from the protest site. The police were trying to clear the area in view of security concerns ahead of Independence Day.
The move came under attack from the veterans who termed it as a “Black Independence Day”.
As police and NDMC started clearing the protest hotspot, the ex-servicemen refused to go away and alleged that cops manhandled those protesting quietly.
“I was pushed by the cops who even tore my shirt,” said 82-year-old Vishambhar shouting anti-police slogans.
However, a senior police officer claimed that it was a drive by NDMC to clean the area and cops were assisting them.
“As Delhi is on a high alert ahead of Independence Day so we are removing the protestors to ensure security,” a senior officer said.
A group of ex-servicemen demanding ‘One Rank One Pension’ have been protesting here for the past two months.
Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept on Independence Day the demand for One Rank One Pension (OROP).
The OROP will benefit 25 lakh ex-servicemen.