OROP suicide row: High-voltage political drama, detentions and Section 144 at CP; here is what all happened

Delhi Police on Wednesday said that prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of CrPC in the Connaught Place sub-division of the city will be strictly enforced in view of the chaos that prevailed on Wednesday due to day long political protests over alleged suicide by an ex-serviceman.

The prohibitory orders are enforced in Connaught Place till December 28 and in view of the problems faced by public due to protests and demonstrations, the orders will be strictly enforced, said Delhi Police.

“Reports have been received indicating that such conditions now exist that unrestricted holding of public meetings, processions, demonstrations in the area are likely to cause obstruction to traffic, danger to human safety and disturbance of public tranquility,” ACP Connaught Place Ramesh Kumar said in a statement.

The prohibitory orders will cover the whole of Connaught Place sub division excluding the area surrounding Jantar Mantar. Any person contravening  prohibitory orders will be punished under section 188 of IPC, he added.

Political slugfest

The alleged suicide of an army veteran over the OROP issue on Wednesday snowballed into a huge political showdown in the capital with Rahul Gandhi being detained twice by Delhi police amid high drama and the movement of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal restricted.

The Congress immediately latched on to the issue after reports of the suicide came in the morning with party leaders taking to the streets. Rahul Gandhi went to RML Hospital to meet the bereaved family and express his condolences, but was taken into custody and kept at Mandir

Marg police station. He was again detained at the Tilak Marg police station and released late at night.Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also met similar fate.

Rahul said the Delhi police action was symbolic of “undemocratic” mentality of the Modi government while Kejriwal accused the prime minister of being guilty of “deceit” and indulging in “lies” over the One Rank One Pension(OROP) issue.

The Congress and AAP leaders also accused the Modi government of being responsible for the death of Grewal who ended his life by consuming poison on the lawns of a government building in Janpath.

They alleged that the Delhi police was unleashed on them by resorting to unprecedented “hooliganism” in quelling their protests.

The Congress and AAP leaders called the police action an assault on democracy and fundamental rights while calling the treatment meted out to the grieving family as “utterly shameful” and “unprecedented. The BJP on its part accused the Congress and AAP of playing politics over the suicide.

Politicians detained

The Congress Vice President was detained at Mandir Marg and Parliament Street police stations while Kejriwal’s movement was restricted when he went to meet the grieving family members of Ram Kishan Grewal. Rahul was later taken to Tilak Marg rpt Tilak Marg police station.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal refused to leave the RK Puram police station where he was detained despite being released by police.However, Kejriwal claimed that he was still being held in detention after he expressed his desire to meet the family of ex-serviceman Ram Singh Grewal who allegedly committed suicide over the OROP issue.

“Kejriwal was detained from Lady Hardinge Hospital around 7.45 PM and brought to the RK Puram police station in south District since there was no media or presence of political leaders there. We asked him to go at around 8.45 PM but he didn’t leave the police station,” said police sources.

Several leaders of Congress and AAP including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia were also held by the police even as Rahul and Kejriwal tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Several Congress leaders including Randeep Surjewala, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kumari Selja were detained while police was seen dragging scores of AAP workers and many office bearers outside the Parliament Street Police station. Sisodia was kept at the police station for several hours.

Family members of deceased allegedly thrashed

Twelve family members of the deceased including his son Jaswant were detained and some of them alleged that they were thrashed by police when they came out of RML hospital, where Grewal’s body was kept.

What Rahul Gandhi said

“A martyr’s family is arrested. This is Modi ji’s India,” Rahul told reporters outside RML Hospital.

“How can you arrest the son and father of martyr? And if you have not arrested them, then why are you not letting them go,” he said after his request for releasing Grewal’s family members was turned down.

“A new India is in the making, you have to identify it.  What is happening in India today, you have to identify it. It is a result of their mentality. It is a particular type of mentality. It is an undemocratic type of mentality.”Rahul also vent his profound anger at policemen over the detention of Grewal’s family members it “shameful” and symbolic of “undemocratic” mentality of the Modi government.

Kejriwal slams Modi govt

Tearing to Prime Minister Modi, Kejriwal asserted that Grewal’s “martyrdom will not go in vain” and emphasised on the need to take his struggle forward.

“The Prime Minister is lying to the entire country claiming that OROP has been implemented. If it was implemented then why Ram Kishan had to commit suicide? The extent of the deceit of the BJP government over the issue is unprecedented.”

Protests over Rahul’s detention

Rahul Gandhi and top Congress leaders were detained twice as a high-voltage political drama unfolded following the alleged suicide by a former soldier over OROP, prompting the party vice president to demand an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The least this government can do is to apologise to the family of the deceased soldier for making them suffer,” said an angry Gandhi after being finally released at night amid strong protests by party leaders.

What AK Antony said?

At a joint press conference at the AICC headquarters, former Defence Minister A K Antony warned that “things will be difficult” if the government did not implement the OROP in toto immediately and remove the pay commission anomalies.Holding the Modi government responsible for the suicide of Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal.

“Government must implement OROP in toto at the earliest and remove all pay commission anomalies otherwise things will be difficult,” Antony said, adding had everything been implemented fully this tragedy would not have happened.

He added, “If is government has any kind of loyalty left for armed forces, my humble request to Prime Minister is please apologise to the nation and the families of soldiers for misleading them that OROP has been implemented. Such action has been unheart of in the history of India.”

Audio conversation of Grewal emerges

An audio of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, who allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday, emerged. The audio allegedly reveals a telephonic conversation between the ex-serviceman and his son.

Grewal can reportedly been heard conveying his son that he has committed suicide by consuming poison. He also allegedly can be heard explaining the apathy of the ex-servicemen.

VK Singh kicks up controversy

Union minister VK Singh on Wednesday sparked a controversy by saying that the mental state of ex-service man Ram Kishan Grewal, who allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday, needs to be investigated.

“Reason for his suicide being reported is #OROP, don't know what his mental state was, need investigation,” said ANI quoted VK Singh as saying.

Anna Hazare questions lacunae in OROP

Attacking the union government over the alleged suicide of an ex-serviceman, social activist Anna Hazare has asked why the Centre had devised an “imperfect” OROP scheme.

“The Centre and leaders are speaking about bravery of soldiers with much pride. But then why the lacunae were kept in OROP for the past soldiers. Grewal’s death has raised many questions and the Centre has to answer them,” Hazare said.

Ex-armyman was OROP recipient: Def Ministry

Grewal was one of the recipients of benefits under the revised pension scheme, Defence Ministry sources said today as his death sent political temperature soaring in the national capital.

However, Ministry sources said Grewal had received a lesser amount as part of the One Rank-One Pension scheme under the 6th pay commission due to an error in calculation by the SBI bank branch in Bhiwani district of Haryana, a matter which was being looked into.