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Army veteran Ram Kishan Grewal's suicide triggers political storm: As it happened

LIVE Blog

A retired soldier's alleged suicide over One Rank One Pension issue on Wednesday snowballed into a huge political showdown in Delhi with CM Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi being detained by Delhi police.

03 November 2016
10:51 AM

Rahul Gandhi arrives in Bhiwani to attend funeral of Ram Kishan Grewal. Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Randeep Surjewala and Kuldeep Bishnoi also present.

A media report said Congress members asked the deceased's family members not to take the body to the cremation site till Rahul Gandhi's arrival.

23:39 PM

After being detained for almost 8 hours, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been released from RK Puram police station.

Our protest will continue till OROP is implemented, says Arvind Kejriwal.

23:39 PM

Ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Garehwal's post mortem conducted. Body being taken to Bhiwani, Haryana: ANI.

23:19 PM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal rejects report of refusing to leave RK Puram police stations, says 'he has been asked to stay back'.

22:17 PM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal released from detention but refused to leave RK Puram police station, PTI quotes sources as saying.

22:14 PM

Congress workers stage protest against vice-president Rahul Gandhi's detention in New Delhi, burns effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lucknow.

22:01 PM

NDA government responsible for Army veteran's suicide, detention of AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is condemnable, says Telangana Congress President N Uttam Kumar Reddy.

 

21:46 PM

Kin of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, who were detained for over 7 hours, released. 

21:42 PM

AAP leader Manish Sisodia comments on his detention by the Delhi Police after being released from police custody.

"What worse could be than arresting the son of an ex-serviceman just because they sought help from a political party? What is happening? I am meeting the family of the ex-serviceman and you detain me? This is an undeclared emergency," Sisodia said.

21:32 PM

Centre's betrayal to nation's ex-servicemen over implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme resulted in the suicide of Ram Kishan Grewal. I will restart 'andolan' if OROP is not implemented, says social activist Anna Hazare.

21:21 PM

Delhi Police PRO Rajan Bhagat told press that leaders from across parties were requested to not gather near gate because of hospital services getting hampered due to crowd, but nobody paid heed to their directions.

21:19 PM

According to ANI sources, the reason Grewal didn't get pension was due to some problems in calculation at the bank's end.

21:17 PM

This is not the way to operate, this is not how you run the country, Was it my fault that I wanted to express my condolences? I wanted to meet them, is it wrong? says Rahul Gandhi after being released.

21:14 PM

"I wanted to speak to bereaved family for two minutes. When family came out to meet me, they were beaten and dragged to police station," says Rahul Gandhi. 

"When I asked the police at the station, why he acted this way, he said he had orders from higher up. Arrest me if you want, I said to the police. But why detain them? (family of ex serviceman) Whatever happened with them is wrong", says Rahul Gandhi

"This is the most difficult day for them (family members of late ex serviceman) but even today they were made to suffer," says the Congress vice-president.

21:12 PM

PM Narendra Modi must apologise to the nation and the armed forces for misleading them on OROP issue: Congress leader AK Antony. 

Govt must implement OROP in toto at earliest and remove pay anomalies, otherwise things will be difficult, the Congress leader added further.

 

20:28 PM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal brought to RK Puram Police Station.

20:21 PM

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi released by Delhi Police.

Rahul addresses media and attacks Modi government for detaining the family of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Garehwal, who allegedly committed suicide over OROP row.

The Congress leader asked Modi government to apologise to Garehwal's family.

19:56 PM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweetes: "Formally detained by the police. No idea where they are taking me."

Reports say Kejriwal is being taken to RK Puram Police Station.

19:22 PM

Congress hits out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over ex-serviceman's alleged suicide and detention of top party leaders including Rahul Gandhi.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the Modi government of ignoring the plight of Indian Armed Forces and wondered whether the BJP-led central government used the OROP issue to garner votes.

Also Read: 'I'm near India Gate... have consumed poison' - Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal’s last words to his family

19:15 PM

Left parties accuse Centre of killing the ex-serviceman, who allegedly committed suicide over OROP, contending its "betrayal" over the scheme caused the tragedy.

 CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat says: "The basic issue is that a soldier has not been killed by anyone across the border, but has been killed by a government which betrayed its promises on OROP causing him to commit suicide which is great tragedy for the country."

19:08 PM

Reacting on the developments, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweets, "Very sad that one of our former jawans committed suicide. Unfortunate that @OfficeOfRG & @msisodia stopped from visiting bereaved family."

"They should be allowed. Our  representative is on his way to Delhi."

"What is happening ? Unprecedented . A CM is detained in his own State. He cannot move about freely. Unacceptable."

19:01 PM

Delhi Tourism Minister and AAP leader Kapil Mishra tweets that Kejriwal had been detained by Delhi Police when he tried to go to a police station where the dead soldier's family had been detained earlier.

Kejriwal's aide Ashish Talwar tweets: "Power drunk (Narendra) Modi and his police are losing it. Detained Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is unconstitutional and illegal."

Also Read: Police not letting me go, says Arvind Kejriwal

18:53 PM

BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal of doing "politics over deaths" after they targeted Modi government over ex-serviceman's suicide.

"The suicide of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal is unfortunate and our sympathies are with his family. What is even more unfortunate is the politics over his death. As far as OROP is concerned, the government has fulfilled its commitment and ex-servicemen are benefiting from it. What Rahul Gandhi and Kejriwal are doing is nothing but politics over death. It seems they keep looking for doing politics wherever such deaths occur," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said in a statement.

18:37 PM

AAP leader Gopal Rai terms the police action against the protesters as 'Goondagardi'.

18:30 PM

Justifying its action Delhi Police issued a statement saying, "During protest by political leaders at RML Hospital today, none has been arrested. When leaders along with the crowd started gathering at RML and medical services got severely affected and orderliness deteriorated, police requested them to mover away. Despite several requests they didn't move and refused, the leaders and protesting followers were move to police stations and detained. They are being spoken to. Family members of the deceased are also being spoken to. Due procedure is on. All concerned are requested to help Delhi Police in maintaining peace and orderliness."

18:28 PM

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Dilip Pandey and Sanjay Singh detained outside Parliament Street Police Station.

18:25 PM

Rahul Gandhi, who was earlier detained later but let off after 70 minutes, was again detained by the Delhi Police.

Besides Rahul, Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Raj Babbar and Shakel Ahmed have also been detained by the police.

Also Read: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia detained at RML hospital

18:25 PM

After detaining Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day, the cops detain Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal was detained after he tried to enter the Lady Hardinge Hospital, where the body of Grewal has been was kept for post-mortem.

Earlier developments

Wednesday's bedlam began when Sisodia went to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) and met the dead soldier's family. As he came out, police took him away to the Parliament Street police station ignoring his protests.

The whole episode started today after 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal from Haryana's Bhiwani district allegedly ended his life in the lawns behind the Jawahar Bhavan last evening.

Police had said he along with some other ex-servicemen was in the process of submitting a memorandum to the Defence Ministry over the issue of OROP.

Earlier speaking to the media, Rahul said, “What sort of country is being created (by Modi government)? For the first time in the history of India, we are not being allowed to meet the family of our soldiers.”

On being asked about the situation, Rahul said, “It's a mentality, it is an undemocratic type of mentality.”