Blow for fight for OROP as veterans' umbrella group breaks

September 09, 2015 19:52

The umbrella organisation leading the agitation for One-Rank, One-Pension split today, just three days ahead of a planned rally, with a key faction dissociating itself from the grouping, citing "lack of cohesiveness" and suggesting politicisation of the movement.

"We have informed the United Front of Ex-Servicemen Movement about our decision to withdraw from the grouping. The movement is no longer cohesive," said Lt Gen Balbir Singh (Retd), president of Indian Ex-Servicemen League. Singh, who was one of the key negotiators from the veterans' side in talks with the government over OROP, said he was against the rally being organised on Saturday at Jantar Mantar.

He claimed that his group has about 4.5 lakh members and none from his side would be participating in the rally. Altogether, there are around 26 lakh ex-servicemen. He said constitution of his organisation maintains that its activities will be apolitical "but with rally being planned in Bihar, we felt this is against our own constitution". He was referring to a grand rally planned by the UFESM in poll-bound Bihar

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