File photo of social activist Anna Hazare
Social activist Anna Hazare will join former servicemen protesting against the Centre over non-implementation of the One Rank One Pension or OROP scheme at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi today.
"This is wrong. If we have to run the nation then the transparency matters a lot," Anna said in Pune on Saturday before leaving for Delhi.
The 78-year-old Gandhian activist had earlier announced he will launch an indefinite fast on October 2 in Delhi over OROP and the government's Land Bill.
"I will launch the fast at Ramlila ground in Delhi on October 2," Anna, who recently wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on OROP and the Land Bill, had told reporters in his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra.
In his letter to PM Modi, Anna had said, "We have to take care of our soldiers and farmers. Making hollow announcements for their welfare and actually implementing them are different things... In a democracy, the government should listen to woes of the people and redress them."
An ex-serviceman himself, Anna had joined the Indian Army in 1963 and served for 15 years as a soldier. He was posted to several key states including Jammu-Kashmir, Assam, Sikkim, Bhutan and Mizoram and even served in the India Pakistan war of 1965.
Retired Army personnel are holding protests across India, demanding that the central government to set a date for the implementation of OROP. The government has earlier said it was committed to OROP and has set aside Rs. 8300 crore for its implementation, but has refused to specify a timeframe.
OROP, a longstanding demand of ex-servicemen, will grant retired armed forces personnel pension parity with officers and jawans of the same rank who are retiring now. OROP will benefit 25 lakh ex-servicemen.
Meanwhile, Anna will also be attending an event in Delhi today where widows and mothers of martyred defence personnel will be honoured in a function to mark the 'Kargil Vijay Diwas.'
He is
also scheduled to meet Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal at the new Maharashtra Sadan this evening.