MORENA (MP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the Congress for depriving ex-servicemen of one rank one pension (OROP) benefits and asserted his government implemented the long-pending scheme and paid Rs 70,000 crore to eligible defence veterans as he accused the opposition party of playing politics with the country’s security when in power.
Referring to a 2006 statement of then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said the Congress thinks Muslims have the first claim on the country’s resources, while for his government the poor and deprived sections of society have the first right over them.
Terrorists who used to behead the country’s jawans and take away their heads with them were now getting a befitting reply, said Modi at a public meeting in Morena ahead of the November 17 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.
“The Congress (when in power) did not fulfil the demand for OROP implementation and earmarked just Rs 500 crore for it despite knowing well that the amount was very less. When the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, it fulfilled the long-pending demand of ex-servicemen and so far, the government has paid Rs 70,000 crore to them under the scheme,” Modi maintained.
OROP means soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service get the same pension, irrespective of their retirement date.
The Gwalior-Chambal division, where Morena is located, is an area from where a large number of youths join the armed forces.
The PM said his government opened the doors of Sainik Schools for girls and facilitated the deployment of women officers in forward areas.
“Modi fulfils every guarantee and OROP is an example of it. The Congress did not pay attention to ex-servicemen’s demand for OROP for four decades. It only lies and gives false guarantees,” said the BJP’s star campaigner.
Hitting out at the country’s oldest political party, Modi alleged it played politics with national security during its long rule at the Centre.
“It is necessary for young people to know that the Congress played politics with the country’s security. After Independence, among the scams that came to light, one was related to the Army,” he added.
“The Congress armed our defence forces with foreign weapons and made them dependant on such armaments. Soldiers deployed on the border were deprived of good facilities,” he alleged.
Modi said erstwhile Congress governments did not act when terrorists targeted Indian soldiers.
“Terrorists used to behead our soldiers and take away their heads with them, but the Congress government of the day just kept it hands folded and sat. During terrorist attacks, help were sought from foreign countries,” the PM stated.
However, things have changed under the BJP-led government, he maintained.
“But today’s Bharat is a new Bharat. The Army gives befitting reply to terrorists by entering into their home. Today, soldiers deployed on the border are given modern facilities and arms and ammunition made in India,” the PM asserted.
Deprived sections of society are benefitting from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the Centre’s free foodgrain scheme for the poor which has been extended for five more years, he said.
“The Congress says Muslims have the first right over the country’s resources. For us, the poor and deprived sections have first right over the country’s resources. For Modi, the poor is the biggest caste and the largest beneficiaries of the Garib Kalyan Yojna are the people belonging to SC/ST and OBC categories,” the PM added.
Modi said his government has given a guarantee of providing pucca houses to the poor and so far, 48 lakh homes had been given to beneficiaries in Madhya Pradesh.
The PM said the Ayushman Yojna was another guarantee of the government and it ensures every person gets medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh free of cost and does not suffer in absence of money.
PTI