Chandigarh, June 12, 2015: Reiterating his support for ‘one rank one pension’, the Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Capt Amarinder Singh today regretted the Indian Ex-servicemen League decision asking him not to attend the June 14 ex-servicemen rally at Delhi for OROP lest it annoy the ruling dispensation at the centre.
In a statement Capt Amarinder revealed that he had received a communication from the Punjab unit of the league quoting the president of the Indian Ex-Servicemen League Lt Gen (rtd) Balbir Yadav saying his (Capt Amarinder’s) participation in the rally may be taken adversely by the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party at the centre.
The former Punjab Chief Minister said, he felt bad about the Ex-servicemen League decision asking him to abstain saying, he was primarily an ex-serviceman and his political affiliations came later. “We all belong to the same fraternity of the ex-servicemen irrespective of the party we may represent”, he said.
Wishing all the success for the rally, Capt Amarinder hoped that it helped in waking up the BJP government at the centre to grant OROP to about 25 lakh ex-servicemen of the country who have given their entire life for the nation. He said, he will continue to support the ex-servicemen’s cause and will not rest till the OROP is granted to them as it is their legitimate right.