Ex-servicemen have been demanding "one rank, one pension" for a long time and Prime Minister Modi had promised to fulfill this demand as one of his election promises. However, more than a year has passed after Modi government was installed and no concrete action has been taken yet. The ex-servicemen have escalated their struggle and for the last two months they have been holding a relay hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. On 14th August the Delhi Police tried to forcefully remove the protesting ex-servicemen from Jantar Mantar, citing Independence day security arrangements. It is well known that government uses every excuse to forcibly disrupt people’s protest actions even when they are being conducted peacefully.
Lok Raj Sangathan condemns the use of force by Delhi Police on the ex-servicemen protesting at Jantar Mantar. They have every right to carry out the struggle for their demands in a peaceful manner. Lok Raj Sangathan also condemns the government for using its agencies and forces to restrict and suppress peaceful protests of the people.
