New Delhi (PTI): After the government refused to accept their demands over pay and pension, ex-servicemen on Tuesday took out a protest rally and went on an indefinite relay hunger strike at Jantar Mantar here "to protest the shabby treatment" meted out to them.
"Around 700 ex-servicemen including 50 General-rank officers today took out a rally against the government's shabby treatment of veterans and serving personnel. A group of retired officers and jawans have sat on a hunger strike today and we will continue the protest till our demands are met," said Indian Ex-Servicemen League (IESL) Vice-chairman Maj Gen (retired) Satbir Singh here.
The veterans started their protest after paying homage at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to mark the martyrdom of Indian soldiers in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, observed as Vijay Diwas every year.
"We chose this day to start our protests as we want to highlight the shabby treatment meted out to us by this government," Maj Gen Singh said.
IESL chairman Lt Gen Raj Kadyan (retired) said the Sixth Pay Commission, by rejecting the demand of ex-servicemen for "one rank-one pension" had created a major anomaly that has caused a lot of heartburn among the veterans.
"By rejecting our demand for one rank-one pension, the Sixth Pay Commission has created an unprecedented situation of different ranks, but one pension," he said.
The demand of ex-servicemen, Lt Gen Kadyan said, was not money, but a fight for "justice and equality."
Ex-servicemen are demanding that similarly placed personnel retiring at the same age, with an equal number of years in service and same rank should get on-par pension, irrespective of their date of retirement.
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