OROP protests: Veterans demand to meet President Mukherjee
A delegation of five protesters has been allowed to go to Rashtrapati Bhavan, according to a report.
Around 50 army veterans protesting against the shortcomings in the government's One-Rank-One-Pension notification marched towards Rashtrapati Bhavan, demanding a meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee to address their grievances. A delegation of five protesters has been allowed to go to Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet the president, reported Times Now. Earlier, two ex-servicemen had tried to burn their medals, before being stopped by fellow protesters, reported the Press Trust of India.
The latest round of protests came even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing army personnel in Amritsar, said that the One-Rank-One-Pension scheme was a long-pending Diwali gift. He also said that additional suggestions for modifying the scheme will be entertained by the judicial commission that has been set up.
The government had formally notified the OROP scheme for over 24 lakh ex-servicemen and six lakh war widows in the country on Saturday. The notification, however, was rejected by the protesters as inadequate. The protests have been going on for over four months now at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.