Howrah News Service -  Latest news and headlines on Howrah,West Bengal and World: ‘Ex-Armymen hungerstrike is unbecoming’

‘Ex-Armymen hungerstrike is unbecoming’
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NewsByte on 27 May, 2008 04:35:24
 
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi
May 27: The Union government on Tuesday expressed strong disapproval on the
hungerstrike resorted to by ex-servicemen at the India Gate lawns and said this
was "uncalled for" and "unbecoming" of ex-servicemen.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, minister of state for defence M.M. Pallam
Raju said, "I think it is unbecoming on the part of dignified ex-servicemen to
be doing such things. Such a move is uncalled for."
He further added, "The UPA government has done a lot for the welfare of the
armed forces and ex-servicemen. The government has also set up a committee of
secretaries to examine the Sixth Pay Commission issue."
There has been discontent in the Army over what officers and soldiers believe
are meagre pay packages recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission.
On Tuesday, the ex-servicemen held a hungerstrike on the India Gate lawns to
protest against the meagre pay packages recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission
but the number of those attending had considerably thinned out by Tuesday
afternoon itself.
"Many of the ex-servicemen from Punjab and Rajasthan could not reach due to the
disruption in the transportation network on account of the Gujjar agitation,"
former deputy chief of the Army, Lt. Gen. Raj Kadyan (retd), said.
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‘LOC firing is unpardonable’
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi
May 27: Minister of state for defence M.M. Pallam Raju on Tuesday described the
violation by Pakistan of the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) as
"unpardonable" and said that Pakistan may have to apologise for it.
The minister made the comments in response to questions by reporters and
pointed out that the ceasefire on the LoC had been maintained for the past five
years. Mr Raju said that the issue of ceasefire violation had been raised with
Pakistan during the recent visit of external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee
to Islamabad. On the recent infiltration in the Samba sector, Mr Raju indicated
that there could be an increase in the infiltration bids this summer.