Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 10
Despite the notification on the ‘one rank, one pension’ (OROP) scheme, ex-servicemen today continued their protest and returned their gallantry and other medals, accusing the government of cheating them.
This is not the first time veterans have returned their medals. They did the same during the tenure of the UPA. Veterans said they would observe a ‘Black Diwali’ to protest the Modi government’s failure to keep its promises.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the ex-servicemen protesting over the OROP notification were misguided and that they should approach a judicial commission being set up as part of the scheme to discuss the issue.
“It’s their democratic right (to protest), but I think they are misguided. If at all they have a grievance, they (ex-servicemen) should put it before the judicial commission we are appointing,” Parrikar said at the commissioning ceremony of ICGS Samarth at Goa Shipyard Limited in Panaji. Yesterday, Parrikar had ruled out any more concessions on OROP. Ex-servicemen returned their war and other medals at various places in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday to register their protest against the “diluted” notification of the OROP.
There were reports of veterans returning their medals in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala in Punjab and Panchkula, Rohtak, Hisar and Ambala in Haryana.

Protesters misled: Govt
The behaviour of ex-servicemen protesting the notification on the OROP scheme is unlike that of a soldier. They have been misguided —Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister