RAJOURI: Congress held a candle light march over the issue of failure of Modi Government to implement One Rank One Pension (OROP) and its failures on various fronts at Rajouri on Friday. The protest was led by JKPCC President G.A. Mir and PCC General Secretaries Shabir Ahmed Khan, Th. Manmohan Singh, District President Rajouri Sain Abdul Rashid and a large number of activists besides ex-servicemen (ESMs).
Mir charged the Modi Government of hoodwinking the ex-servicemen and spreading falsehood over OROP and on various other vital commitments made to the people during the general elections. He said that Modi Government is misleading the nation over OROP issue, thereby forcing the ESMs to protest for their rights. He said that the treatment meted out to the family members of Ram Kishan Grewal is blot on the democracy and reflection of great arrogance of power and insensitive approach of Modi Government.
He also expressed grave concern over the border situation and the plight of border residents who have been the victim of the failure of the Modi government’s flip-flop policies towards Pakistan. He said, there was almost calm on borders during ten years of UPA rule. The promises made to the border residents were not fulfilled by the BJP Governemnt as a result they are facing the brunt of the current situation. He also accused Modi Govt. of total failure on all fronts and lashed out at the unprecedented price hike which has broken the back of poor and common man.
Similar protests was held at Marh, which was led by Thakur Balwan Singh (Ex-MLA) General Secretary JKPCC. Senior congress leaders Mula Ram- former minister and Vice President PCC and Tara Chand former Deputy Chief Minister and large number of people participated.
Addressing the protestors at Marh Thakur Balwan Singh said that the ex-servicemen have been betrayed and are committing suicides for One Rank One Pension (OROP) and the Modi government instead of solving their problems is behaving in insensitive and undemocratic manner. He demanded special recruitment drive for the youth of the border areas in army and paramilitary forces, compensation to the border area people for the losses they suffered due to continuous shelling by the Pak army and mitigation of the problems of refugees of 1947, 65 and 71.
A similar protest march at Ramban was organized by the DCC and was led by former MLA and Secretary PCC Ashok Dogra, Sham Lal Bhagat (MLA), District President Arun Singh Raju besides other local leaders Rashid Malik, Narinder Kour, Sanjay Manhas, Abdul Ghani, Pawan Singh, Shahrukh Bhati, Budhi Singh, Khalid Wani, Janak Singh and others.
Leading the protest at Sunderbani in Nowshera Constituency Ravinder Sharma ( Ex-MLC) Chief Spokesman JKPCC and Shah Mohd Choudhary-General Secretary PCC lashed out the Modi Government for its failure to fulfill the promise of implementation of OROP in toto. They questioned the Modi Government for the ill-treatment to the family of Grewal and crushing the democratic right of protests. They also accused the BJP of betraying the electorates of Jammu Region for the sake of power.