West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday reacted to the eviction of ex-servicemen from Jantar Mantar by taking to Twitter to call the event shameful. She said,”OROP crackdown by evicting Armed Forces veterans by Delhi Police from Jantar Mantar is shameful.” She added,”Calling Army extended family in Kashmir and then using brutal force on the “extended family” in Delhi is very unfortunate.” Earlier on Monday, the ex-servicemen were ousted from Jantar Mantar by the Delhi Police and their tents and makeshifts tents were demolished, as per PTI report. The former veterans were protesting against the diluted implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme (OROP). The action against the police was the October 5 order of the National Green Tribunal. The police said that the protesters were informed about the NGT order in advance and asked either to leave or bring a stay order from the court. However, the former servicemen termed the act as “an attempt to throttle our voice in a democracy.”

Major General (Retd) Satbir Singh, who is among those leading the protest at Jantar Mantar said told PTI that MCD officials came with a JCB machine and demolished their tents and other temporary structures. He said,”They also took away our equipment and other stuff like beddings at around 8.45 AM. We have been protesting peacefully demanding implementation of the OROP scheme.”It is an attempt to throttle our voice in a democracy. And, even if there has been any order from any tribunal, there is a way to do things. What they have done is completely unfair and unjust,” he added.

Singh further said the wife of an ex-serviceman was inside the tent when the exercise was carried out. He, however, clarified that nobody was hurt. The police denied use of any force. The NGT had on October 5 banned all protests and dharnas around the historic Jantar Mantar, which has been a hotspot of many agitations for decades, saying such activities violate environmental laws. The green panel had also directed the NDMC to remove all temporary structures, loudspeakers and public address systems from the stretch of the road.