Cong "betrayed" ex-servicemen: BJP

Stung by Congress' attack on government's OROP package for ex-servicemen, BJP today hit back accusing the opposition party of "betraying" ex-servicemen by failing to implement 'One Rank One Pension' for the last 40 years.
BJP alleged Congress has adopted a "negative" approach all along and that is why it is criticising Modi government for implementing OROP after having not done this for years despite being in power.
"Betrayal is in Congress' nature. It has betrayed the people of the country as well as ex-servicemen all these years. Congress was never serious in implementing OROP and had earmarked only a meagre Rs 500 crore for it, while it will cost Rs 10,000 crore to implement it," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He charged Congress with indulging in big scams like coal allocation and 2G spectrum and then having the "temerity" to propagate the 'zero-loss theory'.
"It was Congress leaders like Kapil Sibal who propagated the 'Zero loss theory' after scams like 2G spectrum and coal blocks allocation. It was only due to efforts of Modi government that the state exchequer benefitted by over Rs 1.10 lakh crore from the auction of 2G alone," he said.
Congress described key components of government's announcement of OROP as a "betrayal" to the cause of ex-servicemen.
Former Defence Minister A K Antony charged the government with doing politics over OROP, "substantially diluting" its provisions and "ridiculing" ex-servicemen.

Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal also said Congress was against the provision of revision of pension every five years announced by the government. He also faulted it for not adhering to the equalisation principle.