Just in: War veteran Col Pushpender Singh (Retd) who has been on a hunger strike for eight days has been rushed to hospital. Col Singh (Retd) and Haviladar Major Singh (Retd) are on a fast unto death from August 16, protesting against the delay in the implementation of the long-pending One Rank One Pension scheme.


In his independence speech Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not given a specific timeline for the implementation of OROP and only said that talks were in the final stages, drawing sharp reactions from ex-servicemen who vowed to step up their protest.


Ex-servicemen have been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar and in other parts of the country for over two months demanding early implementation of OROP.


Close to 22 lakh ex-servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.


Pic: Col Singh (wearing a cap) at the protest site at Jantar Mantar