Kejriwal: Commados in 26/11 operations are yet to be adequately compensated

NEW DELHI: Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal has alleged National Security Guard commandos who fought terrorists during 26/11 had not received adequate compensation for injuries. The Army and the government summarily rejected the contention.

At a press conference on Thursday, former NSG commando Surendra Singh, flanked by Kejriwal and his associates said that despite severe injuries during the operation at the Taj Mahal hotel, in Mumbai, he had only received Rs 4 lakh as financial benefits and had been invalidated from service.

Singh alleged that NSG had received "number of gifts in the form of cheques" for commandos who participated and were injured in the 26/11 operations, but they were not distributed.

"I saw a file in which the photocopy of a cheque of Rs 2 lakh each from Rohan Motors and another firm were received in my name. I never got the money. Not just me, but none of my colleagues got the money issued in their name. I want to know who en-cashed them and where are they now. When I asked officials what happened to the money, they said the home ministry decided that no gifts or donations would be received by NSG. But they did not show me the records to prove that the money was returned," Singh said.

Singh, however, did not explain how anyone else could encash cheques issued in someone else's name. Singh showed an order from the government which said that he was not eligible for pension as he had served only 14 years and three months against the mandatory 15 years.

"Is this the way to treat our commandos who sacrifice their lives for the nation? Does he deserve just Rs 4 lakh? The government should say what happened to the cheques gifted to NSG," he said.

The government fielded information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari in its defence. Tewari said that the commando had been paid Rs 31 lakh as ex-gratia by the Governments of India and Maharashtra.

"He has also received Rs 25,000, which is not in the form of a war injury pension. If at all anything needs to be done in order to preserve and protect the honour of those people who daily risk their lives for the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country, this government will never be found wanting," Tewari added.