Ex-servicemen to show black flags to Manohar Parrikar tomorrow

CHANDIGARH: Vexed over the delay in implementation of One Rank One Pension scheme, a group of ex-servicemen has decided to greet Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar with black flags when he arrives on a visit here tomorrow.

"We will go ahead with our plan to show black flags to the minister for his failure to have already approved the OROP scheme," said Brigadier (Retd) Harwant Singh, representative of the United Front of Ex-Servicemen (UFESM).

"The Defence Minister has often mouthed platitudes for soon implementing OROP but has not given a firm date when that 'soon' would arrive," he said.

Parrikar is scheduled to visit Mohali tomorrow for the inauguration of ' Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute', set up by Punjab government to impart specialised training exclusively to female aspirants across the state to join the National Defence Academy (NDA) in the country.

Singh said about 500-600 army men under the banner of United Front of Ex-Servicemen (UFESM) will assemble at Gurudwara 'Singh Shaheedaan', Sohana in Mohali and from there they would move towards the inauguration site.

"Our anger is not against any person, but against the government's policy of enormous delay in implementing OROP. We will remain peaceful and disciplined during the said demonstration," he said.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made for the Defence Minister's visit here.

"Elaborate security arrangements have been made for tomorrow's function," DIG, Ropar range, R K Jaiswal said here today.

"We are taking all possible measures for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the function in which the Defence Minister is participating," he said adding that nobody will be allowed to create any obstruction during the visit.

Another police official said as many as 1,200 security personnel will be deployed for the function in Mohali tomorrow.