Ex-serviceman commits suicide at Jantar Mantar over OROP issue

Ram Kishan Grewal left a note in which he said that he was taking this extreme step for the benefit of soldiers.

New Delhi: An ex-serviceman hailing from Haryana’s Bhiwani district committed suicide on Wednesday at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue.

According to reports, ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal left a note in which he said that he was taking this extreme step for the benefit of soldiers.

Immediately after the news broke, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal jumped into the fray and attacked the Centre over the issue of OROP.

‘V sad. Soldiers fighting on border against external enemy n fighting within for their rights. Whole nation shud stand up for their rights,’ Kejriwal said on Twitter.

The Delhi CM will go to Haryana to meet the family of the ex-jawan after the post-mortem examination, said reports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday had said that the first instalment of nearly Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the OROP scheme, while asserting that he has \"fulfilled the promise\" he made to ex-servicemen on the issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years.

(This article first appeared in Deccan Chronicle)