New Delhi: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, amid speculation that the government may announce the grant of “One-Rank-One-Pension” by Friday — the day the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 war begin — as protests escalated with two more ex-servicemen joining the fast-unto-death at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in protest against non-implementation of OROP.
On Tuesday, another ex-serviceman already on fast-unto-death was hospitalised. There were TV reports on Tuesday evening that some ex-servicemen had met Mr Parrikar.
Speculation is rife that Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring developments on OROP and that the final touches are being put on the scheme that the government may announce shortly.
There are also indications that agitating ex-servicemen’s representatives may meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the next 48 hours to explain their point of view to the PM on OROP.
Sources said the government wants to avoid a situation in which the 1965 war official commemoration ceremonies — to mark the 50th anniversary of the conflict against Pakistani aggression —are boycotted by ex-servicemen upset over the delay by the Modi government in implementing the scheme. The official ceremonies to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1965 war begin August 28 when wreaths will be laid at Amar Jawan Jyoti.
With protesting ex-servicemen threatening a boycott of all official ceremonies, pressure is growing on the Centre, and a glimpse of this pressure was that the daughter of minister of state for external affairs and former Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd) joined the protests on Sunday. There is also speculation that back-channel talks are on between the government and the representatives of ex-servicemen to sort out issues delaying OROP.
