Ex-servicemen stage a protest outside Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s residence over implementation of OROP, in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: V. Sudershan.
Protesting ex-servicemen called upon their community to contest elections and have their own political representation to achieve One Rank One Pension in its rightful form.
The call was given by several veterans in a major rally organised at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
“We have given a call to ex-servicemen to contest elections to State Assemblies, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. We are a six-crore vote bank and we should have our own representatives to achieve our demands,” Group Captain V.K. Gandhi (retd), general secretary of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement said.
He said that if they remained united with our vote bank they would be able to fill at least 25 per cent seats in each Assembly and about 30 MPs in the Lok Sabha. However he denied that United Front of Ex-Servicemen Movement (UFESM) was contesting polls. “If someone comes to us and if they have good credentials we will support them,” Mr. Gandhi stated.http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/contest-polls-to-achieve-orop-say-veterans/article8434252.ece