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IESM north zone president Col Bhag Singh (retd) and coordinator Lt Col Sadhu Singh Sohi (retd) termed Antony’s statement as “totally uncalled for and mischievously twisted by bureaucrats” just to foil war veterans’ proposed meeting with the Prime Minister on the issue. In a joint press release issued on Thursday, they claimed that contrary to the minister's statement, the case pertaining to one-rank-one-pension was never rejected by the Supreme Court in 1982, and it was dropped because it was not backed by any advocate. This demand may cost Rs 1,200-1,500 crore and not Rs 5,000 crore as projected by the bureaucracy. “No other serviceman can ask for it because our terms, rules and service conditions are entirely different,” they argued. The IESM leaders threatened to intensify the nationwide stir already launched against the UPA-led government at the Centre. “Ex-servicemen in Delhi are already on relay hunger strike from December 16 to 23 and we will also step up our agitation shortly,” they added.
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