VK Singh calls Ram Kishan Grewal Congress man, stirs row

Politics again broke out on the alleged suicide of ex serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal. Minister of state for external affairs General V.K. Singh (Retd) told PTI that Grewal was a Congress worker. He also rejected the claim that Grewal was a prominent face of the One Rank One Pension agitation. “He (Grewal) was a Congress worker. He became sarpanch on Congress’ ticket. However, he was our soldier. I feel sad over his death,” the minister of state for external affairs said.

The minister had landed himself in a controversy when he had commented on the “mental state” of the deceased ex serviceman. He claimed that the government had implemented One Rank One Pension. A political slugfest had broken out in the national capital on Wednesday when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal were detained when they tried to meet the family of the ex-serviceman.

Minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju also hit out at both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. He termed their actions as “drama” which was being carried out for vote bank politics. Mr Rijiju tweeted “Pls don’t compete to be better dramebaaz Soldier’s issue is too serious. We live closely with soldiers. Do you know about soldier’s life ” he also added people are “tired of vote bank political dramas and sympathy for terrorists.” The Congress had termed the actions of the Central government as draconian. Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala had said “the government showed disrespect to a deceased ex serviceman’s family.”